MM April 2019

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APRIL 2019

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Behind the cover In order to keep a business running and thriving, companies must stay ahead of the competition and play a role in pushing manufacturing standards higher. In this issue of Manufacturers’ Monthly, we explore how companies are maintaining their positions at the top of the podium for their sectors, with a focus on sustainability and smart factories.

Atlas Copco Compressors’ Jeff Treble discusses how ensuring machinery lasts well into the future not only saves money, but also keeps companies favourable in the mind of consumers as they look for the top sustainable businesses nationally and globally.

Having been on Dow Jones’ top 100 list of most sustainable companies, Atlas Copco puts great emphasis on reducing its carbon footprint. It also helps other companies do so. John Broadbent, who has been involved in the manufacturing industry for 40 years, explains how

smart factories can minimise waste as less mistakes happen on the factory floor when machines are communicating in real time.

With waste and energy consumption accounting for a huge chunk of manufacturers’ costs, finding solutions to minimise these aspects of running a factory are always welcome. It gives companies more money and time to invest in new ventures, such as stepping into an international market. In this issue, we also discuss how manufacturers made that leap into overseas markets with full force and success. Having been finalists for the Exporter of the Year award at the Endeavour Awards 2018, companies such as Benbro and Redarc Electronics spoke to Manufacturers’ Monthly about what it takes to sell Australian-made products internationally when competition is fierce and never backs down.

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Comment

SYED SHAH – Managing Editor, Manufacturers’ Monthly

Getting ready for the challenges ahead

I

N the World Economic Forum’s Global Economic Competitiveness index, Australia currently sits at number 14 out of 140 cities – an improvement since 2016 when it sat at number 21. The country has, for the better part of the past decade, done well in categories such as physical capital, financial maturity, institutional effectiveness, economic freedom and global appeal. This can be said so for its two most iconic economic centres – Sydney and Melbourne, which rank among the most liveable places in the world.

Despite the complaints about the lack of competitiveness among local businesses in manufacturing, there are a lot of winning factors that put Australia on the cusp of economic superstardom. The federal government has long pointed out that the country has great economic potential in the industrial sector.

This is because many MNCs are seeing the viability of setting up their Oceania operations in Sydney or Melbourne.

Within the industrial space,

6 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Industry 4.0 is no longer a noncommon theme, even though there needs to be much more adoption before the countrywide return on investment can be seen for it. Data is the new gold standard across many institutions. As seen at the recent Industrial Internet 4.0 Summit held at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), discussions by participants suggested that Industry 4.0 tools are readily available to exploit this availability of data to improve existing plant operations.

However, the message sent was that businesses needed to go about using it right. In order to do this, manufacturers need to make sure their technologies are open sourced so that it is easily upgradeable so that data will not be lost in transition.

Australian manufacturers are seeing the greater benefits for automation in their factories for both improved productivity and increased safety. At AUSPACK 2019, there will be 87 international exhibitors among more than 350 exhibiting companies.

This is an indication of an ever-

increasing number of international enterprises that are willing to be testing the Australian industrial markets. In the last couple of years, the event had seen a large number of robotics companies showcasing their products for automation purposes and this year should be no different.

Comparatively, a couple of decades back, international manufacturing trade shows would rarely have stands that actively marketed robotics for commercial use. Today, it has become common place in Australian events such as AUSPACK and the National Manufacturing Week (NMW).

However, in the end, the dream is still to look for the cheapest, fastest, and, have the ROI – which is having your cake and eating it too, in this manufacturing reality. UTS professor Michael Blumenstein stated in his address at the Industrial Internet 4.0 Summit that there is no silver bullet for Industry 4.0. This simply means that there is no single Industry 4.0 fix for an unprofitable business with no Industry 4.0 technology. It does not exist.

With careful implementation

through Industry 4.0 ready equipment and skilling up of the workforce, data gathered from the machines can then be used to perform predictive and preventive maintenance with a high level of precision. It is with this sort of next-generation technology that manufacturers can focus on more important matters to the business, like product differentiation.

Furthermore, preventive maintenance can give more value to a manufacturer’s ROI. With predictive maintenance, equipment life is extended, and efficiency can be improved dramatically.

Blumenstein suggests that the use of artificial intelligence in predictive maintenance is an essential part of the factory of the future and can save an organisation a lot of money should things go wrong. Manufacturers who automate not only manufacturing processes, but also equipment maintenance and monitor it through preventive maintenance technologies, can benefit from a whole new level of production efficiency.

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Comment

GEOFF CRITTENDEN – CEO, Weld Australia

Lowest common denominator procurement decisions put Australians at risk

Since the beginning of the last mining boom, the Australian steel fabrication industry has shrunk.

T

HE trend of some state governments in relation to the procurement of fabricated steel in Australia is encouraging.

For instance, in August 2018, the Victorian state government passed the Victorian Industry Participation Policy (Local Jobs First) Amendment Bill. This bill mandates minimum local content on major projects, including a 90 per cent minimum on construction projects.

In Western Australia, the Industry Participation Strategy came into effect in October 2018, maximising opportunities for local businesses to supply to the state government.

In South Australia, the Industry Advocate Act 2017 committed the state government to maintaining an 10 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Industry Participation Policy.

Similarly, the federal Labor Party recently announced their Local Projects, Local Jobs plan. Under a Shorten Labour government, projects over $10 million will require bidders to develop a plan for local jobs, while public and large private projects over $250m would have to ensure local firms were provided with a fair opportunity to win work. Labor would also demand that 10 per cent of workers on major projects are apprentices from the local area.

While projects over $10m would contain a certain percentage of local content under a Shorten Labor government, the real-world impact this would have on the fabrication industry is questionable. There

are very few fabrication contracts worth over $10m in Australia. So, the head contractors will continue to sub-contract fabrication work to overseas suppliers. If the government is serious about maximising opportunities for local SMEs, particularly fabricators, this figure really needs to be reduced to $1m.

It is vital to Australian industry that both state and federal governments implement effective local procurement policies. With government procurement policies supporting local industry, Australian companies can invest in their own capabilities (from technology and advanced manufacturing processes, through to upskilling existing workers and employing

more workers) and grow to become internationally competitive.

However, Australia still has a long way to go, particularly compared to our key international competitors within the region. In Korea, Japan and China, for instance, comprehensive local procurement strategies have been commonplace for years – all government contracts in these countries are awarded to local industry. This is simply not the case in Australia.

The New South Wales government recently ordered a fleet of inter-city trains from South Korea – at the bargain price of $2.3 billion. The government had hoped the trains would prove 25 per cent cheaper than locally manufactured trains. But, with the imported trains manmonthly.com.au

failing to fit the tracks in the Blue Mountains, 20 stations now require modifications. The total project cost could be upwards of $3.9b – well above the government’s expected 25 per cent savings.

Private business is equally quick to send – what should be – Australian jobs offshore. BHP awarded more than 20,000 tonnes of structural steel work for its $4.7b South Flank project to an offshore manufacturer late last year.

Since the beginning of the last mining boom, the Australian steel fabrication industry has shrunk by over 30 per cent because of exactly this type of short-sighted procurement decision.

Not surprisingly, Australian fabrication companies have gone broke and closed their doors, resulting in thousands of welders leaving the trade.

So then, why are these shortsighted procurement decisions the norm in both government and private business contracts?

It is because procurement professionals are chasing the lowest purchase price rather than whole of life cost.

This drives fabricators, whether in Australia or overseas, to deliver the cheapest solution, not the best solution.

Without regulations that mandate compliance to Australian Standards for the manufacture, fabrication and erection of steel, procurement decisions have been reduced to the lowest common denominator: cost.

This complete lack of regulation is putting Australian lives at risk.

There is no compulsion for either a client or a fabricator to comply with Australian Standards.

The problem is that, if structures and components are not fabricated in accordance to Australian Standards, there is simply no way to guarantee that they will not fail.

Whether fabricated steel is manufactured in Australia or overseas, it is critical that the work is undertaken according

The NSW government ordered a fleet of inter-city trains from South Korea. to Australian Standards.

As such, Weld Australia is currently lobbying both sides of government to amend the necessary regulations to mandate compliance to Australian Standards, or wear the consequential loss of life.

Without mandated compliance to Australian Standards, the Australian public and workers are being put at risk by lowest common denominator cost procurement decisions.

No cost saving is worth even one Australian’s life.

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Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 11

News @MM New waterproof drone can land on sea in rough conditions RMIT University engineers, with the Defence Science and Technology Group, have created a waterproof drone that can land on sea.

The drone, known as Black Kite, has been nominated for a National Defence Innovation Award at the Avalon International Airshow.

RMIT University’s project lead, Dr Abdulghani Mohamed, said Black Kite represented a drone ideal for maritime applications.

“It’s entirely water-proof and can land and take-off on water, even with some level of swell and in all-weather conditions.

“This system would enhance abilities to investigate or meet incoming vessels or divers,” said Mohamed.

“Sending a drone to perform this task is quicker and safer than sending

people into potential danger is easier as it completes the mission with high levels of autonomy.”

The drone is on display during the Airshow as a nominee for the $15,000 prize.

Mohamed said Black Kite had also been designed to operate with high levels of autonomy in taking off, intercepting and tracking targets, returning to base and landing.

It has an operating range of up to 3km and can carry a 3kg payload, including a range of sensors and on-an board speaker and mic system for twoway communication with vessels.

Black Kite co-creator, RMIT University’s Dr Matthew Marino, said it was satisfying to develop a technology that had its beginnings as a student project, then developed through several prototype stages and

testing using RMIT’s industrial wind tunnel facilities.

The drone has been presented before top US Navy officials and, after nearly 40 test missions and further development, is now fully

ready for deployment.

Marino and Mohamed are senior researchers in RMIT’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research Team (RUASRT) – working on drone technology and novel applications.

The Black Kite drone can land on water.

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News @MM New space projects mark 30 years of Boeing-CSIRO partnership Boeing and CSIRO have announced 20 new joint research projects for 2019 making this the largest research portfolio in the history of their research and development relationship.

The projects form part of the current $35 million five-year agreement and signal a new direction towards the joint development of space-related technologies.

The new agreement includes four new joint space technology research projects: • on-board image processing and analytics for Earth observation satellites; • space situational awareness for commercial and civil purposes such as monitoring space debris; • lightweight, radiation shielding materials for spaceflight and • on-orbit manufacturing of space structures or satellite components.

The latest projects expand the scope of joint research to five of CSIRO’s domain areas of expertise: advanced manufacturing, data analytics, energy, future insight consulting services, and space technology.

For Boeing, these projects involve teams throughout the company, including space, research and development, and Boeing HorizonX. Boeing HorizonX is a pathfinder organisation that accelerates innovation and explores what’s possible outside of Boeing’s traditional market offerings.

The new projects were announced today at the Avalon International Airshow in Victoria, where the two organisations are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their partnership.

Boeing chief technology officer Dr Greg Hyslop said Boeing and CSIRO have a wealth of space technology expertise, and our collaboration stands to propel Australia’s space industry forward.

“Boeing’s extensive experience in space dates back to the beginnings of NASA’s crewed space program and the start of satellite-based communications systems, and CSIRO has a 75-year history in developing space technologies.”

CSIRO’s chief executive, Dr Larry Marshall, said the record number of joint projects reflected the strength of the relationship

Boeing chief technology officer Dr Greg Hyslop, left, and CSIRO’s chief executive Dr Larry Marshall.

between Australia’s national science agency and Boeing.

“Extending our partnership with Boeing into space technology will fuel new discoveries for us while also driving towards Australia’s target of 20,000 jobs in the local space industry by 2030,” said Marshall.

“Partnering with a global leader like Boeing is critical for CSIRO to deliver on our purpose – solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology.

“Whether it’s new materials to withstand incredible forces,

3D-printed rocket fuel, or artificial intelligence to guide our way through intractable problems, CSIRO is using science to create innovative industries for Australia,” said Marshall.

Boeing and CSIRO have made numerous innovative breakthroughs since forming their partnership in 1989.

These include CSIRO’s “Paintbond” technology, which has been applied to more than a thousand Boeing aeroplanes around the world, saving millions of dollars in maintenance costs.

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14 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

12/12/18 8:58 am

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TSA continues to look for opportunities to invest in job-creating, market growth innovations incorporating tyre-derived product.

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News @MM Partnership between France and Australia strengthens engineering capabilities France and Australia’s brightest students will have the opportunity to be immersed in the latest engineering technologies in both countries under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Flinders University, the French Embassy and technology firm Thales.

The MoU launches a reciprocal program for French students to be based at Flinders University for periods of up to six months as part of research internships that will be the shared responsibility of Flinders and Thales, and supported by the French embassy.

This new program reciprocates an existing arrangement through which Flinders University students are undertaking placements in France.

The agreement has been signed

by Ambassador Christophe Penot, Thales chief technical officer Dr John Best, and Flinders University’s vice-

chancellor Colin Stirling, at an official reception at the French Embassy.

Further deepening the existing relationship between Thales and Flinders University, the arrangement will see high performing students selected for internships supported

by Thales and delivered at Flinders University.

South Australia is a focal point for $90 billion worth of defence manufacturing in Australia including the future submarine and future frigate projects.

Penot said the agreement reflects burgeoning French-Australian relations.

“We are witnessing a flourishing relationship between France and Australia, with initiatives in the defence space a catalyst for educational and social exchanges that are strengthening the bonds that unite us – this MoU is borne of that growing

spirit of collaboration,” said Penot.

Best said the exchange of research knowledge is central to advancing the defence sector.

“This is all about attracting and nurturing the best and brightest in both Australia and France, opening up fantastic opportunities for closer collaboration with Thales on a global scale.

“To ensure these students have hands-on, practical experience in the research, design and development of world-class high-technology solutions, we’re designing activities that will allow them to engage with Thales before, during and after the internship, including company briefings and site visits that will inform their research projects,” said Best.

Stirling said Flinders’ internationally noted expertise in autonomous systems will be an asset

Australian students can now easily study engineering in France.

to the student interns.

“Partnerships which embed students at each other’s premier institutions and exposes them to our most experienced researchers ensure that we’re passing on leading-edge knowledge to a new generation of researchers, further strengthening our mutual capacity and result in significant economic and social benefit,” said Stirling.

SMC changes name to align with more than solely pneumatics

SMC has changed its name to SMC Corporation.

manmonthly.com.au

SMC, a pneumatics manufacturer, has changed its name to SMC Corporation (Australia) in Australia and SMC Corporation (NZ) in New Zealand.

For more than 50 years in Australia, the company has increased its market share and foothold in various industries – from food and beverage, to packaging and mining to name a few.

The SMC brand has evolved to deliver an all-encompassing product portfolio and extensive service suite.

SMC focuses on developing products that suit the needs of customers – to the point where special products are engineered and become part of the standard product portfolio.

To date, SMC has more than 12,000 products in 700,000 variations.

To align with a global movement started by the parent company in

Japan and to ensure consistency, SMC Pneumatics changed its name in February 2019.

It follows the movement from SMC globally to be more than a component supplier, but to provide customers with complete solutions and in range of products not only limited to pneumatics.

SMC’s products include valves, actuators, instrumentation, vacuum, electric actuators and other derived products such as temperature control equipment.

Offering customers complete solutions and product specifically developed to their application ensures SMC Corporation remains a firm favourite in the business of automation across a range of industries.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 17

News @MM Australian Space Agency signs with UK satellite earth station The Australian Space Agency has added a British satellite and communications company to its growing list of international partners.

In late February, the agency and Goonhilly Earth Station signed a Statement of Strategic Intent and Cooperation in London; the fifth such signing follows the recent similar agreement with Lockheed Martin.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews, said the agreement shows the agency was already highly regarded as a valuable partner on the international stage.

“The name Goonhilly has long been associated with satellites and communications.

“Goonhilly will establish an Australian registered company, with the intent to employ local research and development, engineering and other personnel, which includes seed funding to invest in Australian deep

space communication assets to support Earth observation and advanced communications,”said Andrews.

The government aims to triple the size of the local space sector to $12 billion by 2030, creating up to 20,000 new jobs, she said.

“Agreements like this will help us to reach the first rank of space nations.”

Dr Megan Clark AC, head of the Australian Space Agency said the agency welcomes Goonhilly’s intent to invest in communications, and research and development in Australia.

“The agreement will provide greater opportunities for technology transfer and the creation of local skilled jobs in the space sector,” she said.

Backed by the British government, the Goonhilly Earth Station has 23 antennas at its ground station facility

The Australian Space Agency is collaborating with a UK company.

on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall.

Last year, Goonhilly formed a partnership with the European Space Agency and Surrey Satellite Strategic Statements of Intent and Cooperation led by the Australian Space Agency with industry partners, that was designed to highlight areas of investment and growth for Australia’s unique potential in space research

and development and commercial applications.

The Australian government established the Australian Space Agency in July 2018 as part of its plan to boost its economy and help create a further 1.25 million jobs in the next five years. That’s why it is investing $41 million over four years in the agency’s development.

New deal with Indonesia boosts Australian industry Australian industries will benefit from duty-free access for many steel, iron, copper and plastic products as part of a new IndonesiaAustralia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) signed on March 4.

IA-CEPA will deliver significant benefits to Australia’s manufacturing and resources sectors.

Minister for Industry, Science

A new trade agreement with Indonesia will grow Australia’s manufacturing sector.

18 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

and Technology, Karen Andrews, said IA-CEPA would help to further strengthen Australia’s economy, as well as ties between the two countries.

“The Australian steel industry will benefit in particular, with Indonesia agreeing to issue import permits for all rolled steel coil products.

“Importantly, Australia’s merchandise exports to Indonesia were approximately $7 billion in 2017, making Indonesia Australia’s 9th largest export market in 2017,” said Andrews.

“Securing duty-free, or significantly improved preferential arrangements by 2020 on over 99 per cent of Australian goods exports to Indonesia, will further grow our trade relationship with this very important regional partner.

“This agreement recognises the commercial benefits of our continued cooperation and

represents enormous potential growth for both Australian and Indonesian industries,” she said.

Indonesia remains a growing market for Australian goods and services exporters, and total two-way trade with Indonesia was worth $16.4 billion in 2017, making Indonesia our 13th largest trading partner.

Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox said it takes two to trade.

“You can’t have a buyer without a seller, or an exporter without an importer, it has to be a partnership. That is why the name of this agreement, the IndonesiaAustralia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, is more than a title, it aptly describes the ongoing cooperative partnership that will be forged between our two business communities.

“Australian investors are valued for their commitment to staff development and safe workplaces,

and value their investments in Indonesia for the opportunities it gives them to add value to their products and services locally and for the huge market opportunities.

The guarantees for Australian investment under IACEPA will encourage more Australian companies to explore their options and to make the leap into Indonesia,” said Willox.

“For the first time Australia and Indonesia will guarantee the free flow of ‘data’ or ‘information’ across borders for service suppliers and investors as part of their business activities. This “movement of information” or “data flow” is relevant to all kinds of Australian businesses – from a manufacturer with offshore sales offices and online order systems, to a telecommunications company providing data management services to businesses in both countries,” he said. manmonthly.com.au

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IndustryFocus Product longevity keeps facilities sustainable Making the most of a machine’s life-span means less materials end up in the tip.

Manufacturers’ Monthly explains.

Implementing smart solutions in a manufacturing facility can improve sustainability.

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HE circular economy encompasses many aspects of a businesses that can be changed to improve environmental impacts and create a more profitable business. While creating and highlighting change by promoting that a company uses renewable energy and environmentally friendly materials is one way to show a company cares about sustainability, ensuring the longevity of equipment used in a manufacturing facility can be just as important.

Companies, such as Atlas Copco Compressors, are helping businesses’ equipment last longer, thus saving them money and minimising waste.

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A McKinsey and Company report, Mapping the Benefits of a Circular Economy, highlighted that the circular economy is a reliable way for industries to increase their profitability while reducing their dependence on natural resources.

McKinsey recognised several potential circular economy activities that could improve performance and reduce costs.

These are shifting to renewable energy and materials (regenerate), promoting the sharing of products or otherwise prolonging product life spans through maintenance and design (share), improving product efficiency and removing waste from

supply chains (optimise), keeping components and materials in closed loops through remanufacturing and recycling (loop), delivering goods and services virtually (virtualise), and replacing old materials with advanced renewable ones or applying new technologies such as 3-D printing (exchange).

Atlas Copco Australia Compressor Technique business line manager, Jeff Treble, said small changes and replacements can have a positive effect on companies wanting longevity from their products.

“We are maximising the uptime of the compressors for customers by replacing parts under a structured

preventative maintenance program.

This ensures they have a long life cycle.

“There are components that have a short life time and need to be replaced. A minor component that can be replaced is an easy fix, but if it’s a major component it can cause a major catastrophe,” said Treble.

“Everything can be repaired, but the cost to repair a major component could be more than buying a new machine.” By offering ongoing service and using genuine parts, Atlas Copco helps ensure that products last as long as possible.

Atlas Copco has featured in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index manmonthly.com.au

IndustryFocus John Broadbent said smart factories help eliminate waste.

several times – recognising its commitment to being one of the top sustainable companies.

“Environmental aspects are extremely important for Atlas Copco.

Sustainable productivity is one of our core values,” said Treble.

He suggested that companies use genuine parts and implement a thorough preventative maintenance plan to help machinery last longer – boosting their circular economy activities.

“There are plenty of pirate manufacturers in the market.

The difference is we know those components have been tested with our compressors. The reliability of those components can be affected by quality and design of those materials.

“Using a non-genuine filter can cause disruption to your air flow.

There are current components that fail if they are not genuine. They can increase the chance of a pressure drop. For every one bar of pressure drop, you lose seven per cent of energy savings,” said Treble. “That is significant.”

He said working with customers to ensure they have the right equipment and know how to work with that equipment is important. Through

research and development (R&D), Atlas Copco Compressors is able to ensure it provides the most efficient products to the market.

“R&D is so important to our customers. We know the life expectancy of the components through all the testing we do.”

The company also implements preventative maintenance plans, which Treble said was a top pritority for Atlas Copco Compressors and it should be at the top of the list for other companies.

“Preventative maintenance servicing is 100 per cent the way that you should ensure longevity. It comes down to making sure the compressor is in the right environment.

“For example, a hot, dusty environment would require more servicing than a cool, clear environment. The better quality the air is, the better quality we can filter the air.”

But, Treble said that even if a compressor is in a dusty environment, such as a mine, there

There are components that have a short life time and need to be replaced. A minor component that can be replaced is an easy fix, but if it’s a major component it can cause a major catastrophe.

Using biosolids in bricks could be a solution to environmental challenges.

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 21

IndustryFocus RMIT University’s Abbas Mohajerani researches how biosolids can be used in brick manufacturing.

are ways to minimise damage, for instance housing the compressor in a sheltered location.

Smart factories for sustainable future Implementing smart solutions for a manufacturing facility also fits within circular economy activities.

Realise Potential founder and industry expert John Broadbent said with smart factories, manufacturers can see what’s going on in their production process, anywhere, anytime. “This helps with recall prevention and eliminates incorrect product being distributed. It means you can notify your customers about any breakdowns that are going to affect production. It improves the efficiency of production so you save money and you can get more capacity out of your existing equipment. The 22 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

big one I’m seeing at the moment is reduced waste to landfill.”

Broadbent, who is a speaker at the AUSPACK Business and Industry Conference, has more than 40 years’ experience in manufacturing. The last 20 of these have been dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes, use smart factory concepts. He’s seen first-hand the positive change these investments have made, both on profitability, longevity and culture.

By not implementing smart and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, companies can unknowingly be creating a loss and waste in their facilities as their machinery can become outdated.

“I see organisations struggling with equipment they bought overseas that’s not ‘open architecture’, so when they want to become a smart factory they can’t connect to that piece of

More than 3 billion cubic metres of clay soil is dug up each year for the global brickmaking industry, to produce about 1.5 trillion bricks.

Using biosolids in bricks could be the solution. equipment. They must buy equipment where they can access the source code, because if they can’t extract the information they need, they’re unable to then feed into machine learning or any artificial intelligence platforms,” said Broadbent.

Switching to sustainable materials While smart factories and preventive maintenance solutions that help

machines last longer are creating more sustainable facilities, companies can implement change by using sustainable materials with a new twist. One academic, who specialises in using biosolids to replace more labour-intensive and unsustainable products in bricks, said companies often steer clear of alternative solutions when they could be seeking help to implement new environmentally friendly manmonthly.com.au

IndustryFocus materials to their facilities.

RMIT University school of engineering associate professor, Abbas Mohajerani, said companies should think of research collaborations with universities as a chance to improve sustainability processes in their facilities. “I think the manufacturing industry should really continue to make steps to find a solution to environmental issues.

They have a big role to play. They have to start seriously contributing to those sustainability goals,” said Mohajerani.

“They should really start to think about values of some of the waste materials.” Mohajerani and his team researched how biosolids can be used to create sustainable products that can be used in factories, for example.

The research sought to tackle two environmental issues – the stockpiles of biosolids and the excavation of soil required for brick production.

“More than 3 billion cubic metres of clay soil is dug up each year for the global brickmaking industry, to produce about 1.5 trillion bricks. Using biosolids in bricks could be the solution to these big environmental challenges.

“It’s a practical and sustainable proposal for recycling the biosolids currently stockpiled or going to landfill around the globe,” he said.

The research examined the physical, chemical and mechanical properties

Atlas Copco Compressors services equipment to help customers get the most out of it. of fired-clay bricks incorporating different proportions of biosolids, from 10-25 per cent.

The biosolid-enhanced bricks passed compressive strength tests and analysis demonstrated heavy metals are largely trapped within the brick. The research showed brick firing energy demand was cut by up to 48.6 per cent for bricks incorporating 25 per cent biosolids.

This is due to the organic content of

Japanese quality

manmonthly.com.au

Vibrant colours

the biosolids and could considerably reduce the carbon footprint of brick manufacturing companies.

“Most environmental issues are out of sight, out of mind. We are all responsible to think about and meaningfully do whatever we can for restoring natural sustainability to the environment, otherwise we will all be guilty of ignoring the deep, and potentially irreversible, environmental damage

24hr cap off life

Fade resistant

Multi surface

we have caused.”

Mohajerani said using biosolids is just one simple solution that manufacturers can consider. “They are much lighter and more porous.

They have low thermal connectivity that means less heat transfer.” He said by considering alternative materials when manufacturing products, businesses can save on energy and daily running costs, while reducing their carbon footprint.

pilotpen.com.au/permanent-marker

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 23

Manufacturing Tools The right tool for the job Infastech Engineered Fastening supplies tools that speed up processes in many facilities.

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PEED and accuracy are key in any manufacturing facility.

Where solutions are created to make more products in less time, to an equal or better standard, manufacturers are quick to jump on board. One of Infastech Engineered Fastening’s customers said they choose Infastech speed riveting tools as they are the fastest on the market.

The customer said: “It has made sure we can produce as much work as possible. Any second saved is a second gained in producing more product.”

The speed riveting system, Avdel 7537, is a lightweight tool that uses hydraulics for placing fasteners. It also has a specially toughened plastic body with a heavy duty rubber base. The client said it sped up the installation of rivets in the company’s sheet metal work. “We have only used these speed riveting tools as we chose from the start to use the fastest tool available.”

Features of the speed riveting tool include: • Standard 7530 nose equipment, • The ability to place the same range of fasteners as a 7530 tool, • A reduction of operator fatigue and increased productivity, • It has no long cord as it only requires an airline, • Increased impact resistance and durability.

Infastech Engineered Fastening field application engineer John Belayiannis said the Advel 7537 can fit up to 48 rivets in one cartridge. “It’s a high volume tool that saves you time.” While similar tools require manual loading of each rivet by hand, the Avdel Speed Riveting system offers a faster tool reload via a pre-loaded mandrel.

These attributes make it the only option for Infastech’s clients – with one saying no other tool compares to this one when it comes 24 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Infastech Engineered Fastening helps manufacturers increase productivity in their facilities.

It has made sure we can produce as much work as possible. Any second saved is a second gained in producing more product. to speed. “Speed riveting has helped speed up the rivet process in the larger grills we manufacture.

It has also helped from a health and safety perspective, as we no longer need to sweep up rivet mandrels. We would recommend this tool to any user needing to place a high volume of fasteners

at optimal speed.”

The company also uses Infastech nail rivet tools for smaller and cheaper grills.

With no long umbilical and a rapid cycle time, the lightweight, self-contained tool is simple to use and reduces operator fatigue.

The Advel 7537 has a variety of

configuration options to ensure assembly requirements are met.

Specifications of the speed riveting tool include: • Weight: 2.2 kg, • Pull force: 3.89 kN, • Stroke: 30 mm, • Cycle time 1.0 sec, • Air supply press. 5 - 7 bar (80-100 psi), • Free air volume 2.6 litres at 5.1 bar, • Noise level: 70 dB(A), • Vibration: 2.5m/s, • Cycle counter, • Intensification ratio: 37:1. manmonthly.com.au

2019

nominee

The COMBi-PPT has been nominated as a product shortlisted for the International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year 2019 (IFOY) which honours the best products and solutions in the material handling industry.

MATERIAL HANDLING SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR INDUSTRY

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Supplies Pens: A tool for communicating that is here to stay Pilot Pen is continuing to grow its sector while helping manufacturers now and for years to come. Manufacturers’ Monthly finds out more.

Pilot Pen held a public event in Sydney to celebrate 100 years.

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HE humble pen has helped people create, share, and learn for centuries. From enabling ancient Egyptians to communicate, to 7th-19th century Europeans using quill pens with feather handles, pens have been a valuable tool across the globe for hundreds of years.

Of course, pens are much more sophisticated now, with fountain pens, ballpoint pens, markers and rollerball pens allowing people to write on all types of surfaces at a range of thicknesses.

In the manufacturing world, every day processes have evolved as 26 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Perfect for the office, factory and warehouse, or anywhere that you need to permanently make your mark. businesses opt for digital solutions and printed applications, but pens and markers remain integral in offering a fast, cost-effective and reliable method of communicating.

Celebrating 100 years in 2019, Pilot Pen highlights its journey as a pen maker that supplies stationary to Australian households, businesses

and most notably to manufacturers.

For the past 100 years, Pilot Pen has been at the forefront of design and innovation, delivering writing experiences in different industries around the world. All of Pilot Pen’s products are made in Japan using the best quality ink and materials, with an emphasis on end user satisfaction.

The focus is on ensuring that every one of the company’s products is produced to the highest standard.

Pilot Pen marketing manager John Johnston said this commitment to quality above all things is why the company has been around for 100 years, and why it will be around for another 100.

He said digital platforms evidently play a role in how messages are received these days, but pens and markers allow manufacturers to write on products with ease and speed.

The company offers the FriXion range of erasable inks, which include pens, highlighters and coloured manmonthly.com.au

Supplies

Oil injected screw compressors

Pilot Pen uses long-lasting ink in its markers. markers. The secret behind Pilot’s FriXion ink is that it is a thermosensitive ink, so if it heats up the ink will disappear but can reappear when temperatures reach below -10 degrees Celsius.

The heat generated by friction when rubbing the paper with the special tip turns the ink invisible.

With no damage to the paper, the ink can be erased and the user can re-write over the same surface.

“Pilot has recently introduced the SCA 100 and 400 range of permanent markers that are ideal for industrial applications – tough markers for tough jobs,” said Johnston.

“Perfect for the office, factory and warehouse, or anywhere that you need to permanently make your mark. They have a minimum 24-hour period where the cap can be left off but the tip will not dry out.”

The SCA 100 and 400 series feature the newly developed Controlled Surface Properties (CSP) ink, which is wear resistant and prevents the ink dispersing when it’s scratched. This ensures a long cap-off performance and rich, vibrant colours. They are xylene free and available in fine tip/1 mm (SCA 100) and broad tip/4 mm (SCA 400).

Key benefits are: • Strong surface adhesion that allows the markers to be used on many surfaces, including cartons, glass, plastic, wood, manmonthly.com.au

metal and paper. The markers will even write over grease and oil.

• A cap-off life of 24 hours is made possible with CSP ink, which is specially formulated to ensure the tip will not dry out, even if left uncapped for a day.

• Wear resistance prevents the ink rubbing out or fading from heat, light, water and cold.

• Vibrant colours ensure the black is vivid and blue, red and green colours are bright, which make writing clearer and more visible.

Reduce, reuse, recycle Minimising damage to people’s health and the environment is important to Pilot Pen. The company has made pens from recycled goods since 1997. The pens are made using recycled

materials acquired from used household appliances and office equipment.

Pilot Pen also uses recycled materials made from used containers and waste plastic.

These are given a new life as the main body components of rollerball and ballpoint pens, mechanical pencils and markers.

Additonally, ink replacement and refillable products have been developed to reduce the amount of non-combustible waste – making products easier to use and improving functionality while also being environmentally friendly.

Johnston said with 100 years’ experience, Pilot Pen is committed to providing manufacturers with products that last and put value on sustainability.

NEW series-4 oil injected screw compressors

Oil free scroll compressors

Members of the public write notes of gratitude at a Pilot Pen event in Sydney.

Desiccant dryer

For sales and service support contact your nearest BOGE partner www.boge.net or (03) 5940 3266

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 27

Insights &Issues Exporting takes collaborative approach Taking on an international market can be easier by partnering with an industry expert in that country. Miri Schroeter finds out how companies are succeeding in foreign territory.

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USTRALIA is competing in an international market where a company from Germany can easily and quickly transport its products to France or any other neighbouring nation.

So finding a niche in the market, or focusing on Australian-made branding can give companies down-under an advantage.

But some manufacturers that successfully export products overseas explain that it’s more about improving communication and partnerships with distributors.

“A lot of the success we’ve had overseas is finding good distributors,” said Jehbco Silcones marketing manager Jessica Fernandez. Jehbco Silcones manufactures silicone extrusions and gaskets used on applications such as window seals for aircrafts and tubing for food and beverage manufacturing. While Fernandez said Jehbco Silcones’ products are reliable and have special features such as custommade dies, solid partnerships with overseas distributors push exports over the line.

Jehbco Silcones manufactures silicone extrusions and gaskets.

28 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

We spent 18 months studying the North American market and developing our market entry strategy.

“Having marketing campaigns that can target overseas markets, with the help of distributors, helps our success. It makes your job so much easier when someone else knows the market. Finding a good distributor that you can hop on the back of is really great,” said Fernandez.

Jehbco Silcones’ overseas markets include the US, China and New Zealand, where Jehbco Silcones targets large enterprises.

“A few years ago we really cut down on staff, we got rid of 80 per cent of our business. We’ve really been focusing on the bigger clients.

It’s difficult to grow but all of this growth pain has made us a better company.”

The company invested in more research and development and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to improve its businesses. Now, Jehbco Silcones is able to focus its business on large companies in the aerospace sector to which it exports products regularly. “We had an increase of about 20 per cent of staff last year. We’ve really been scaling up.

“Getting in the export market is really more about perseverance and persistence. It’s deciding if you want to make that commitment,” said Fernandez.

Other companies such as Redarc Electronics, agree that studying the market and investing in a third-party to help drive growth is a step to successful exports.

Redarc managing director Anthony

Kittel said when the company first embarked on developing export business, an entry-to-market strategy was critical to creating a global market strategy.

“We spent 18 months studying the North American market and developing our market entry strategy. In Europe, we did likewise to identify the key Redarc products of interest, the right path to market and the right partners. In the case of European market development, we engaged a third party to conduct this market study on our behalf and then Redarc staff in conjunction with the consultant developed the strategy,” he said.

Kittel acknowledges that market studies are not a one-off solution to finding the right gap in the market. “We conducted regular market visits to gauge customer interest and understand the competitive landscape, prepare a competitor analysis, price positioning, distribution network, sales channels, on-line trends, warehousing options, sales representation and more,” said Kittel.

Redarc, which develops and manufactures a range of electronic voltage converters and associated products, inverters, brake controllers and power supplies, exported to more than 35 countries in 2018. But, this hasn’t come without its challenges.

Kittel said generating brand and product awareness requires a lot of attention. manmonthly.com.au

Insights&Issues Marketing products for an overseas market can be different to marketing products for Australia.

“The Redarc brand is strong in Australia, but not as wellknown abroad. Large wholesale distributors want to be assured and shown a plan on how you’re going to create the brand and pull the stock through their channel. Simply put, if you don’t have a name overseas, how are you going to create that? We have been prepared to demonstrate our investment in their business as well as our own,” said Kittel.

To further combat these challenges, Redarc has also employed staff in the target market that are familiar with the market and the company’s customers.

“They speak the language and can talk confidently about our business and products. We have also developed staff to offer a high level of technical and after sales support in the target market,” he said.

For Australian businesses wanting to enter overseas markets, Kittel suggested finding a point of difference or value proposition. manmonthly.com.au

“Consider carefully, if it is strong enough to compete against those already operating in the market.”

Choosing the right sales channels for that market – such as online or wholesale distribution – and patenting and trademarking a brand are also important moves when shifting into an international market, said Kittel.

But just as Fernandez mentioned, hard work is of utmost importance. “Have a relentless passion to build the reputation of your business,” said Kittel. “It doesn’t miraculously just happen.”

Jehbco Silcones and Redarc Electronics were finalists for the Exporter of the Year award at the Endeavour Awards 2018 – with Redarc winning the category. Along with the other finalists, Benbro, Matthews Australasia and CST Composites, these companies have successfully entered international markets. But Benbro CEO Daniel Martinez said bureaucratic and regulatory challenges, long

decision-making time and cultural differences are all challenges Benbro has faced when exporting products.

“These challenges were overcome by patience – lead time will take at least two years – and having a well-vetted and trusted partner rep and distributor,” said Martinez.

He suggested implementing a double-layer structure, as having a distributor and a rep can help.

“Ordinarily, a traditional distributor will have a variety of products to handle and will not necessarily spend its entire resources on your range. So, we adopted a dualpronged approach. We appointed a rep with good government and industry connections as well as a conventional distributor in each country, and we have asked each of them to co-ordinate their efforts.”

Benbro exports to New Zealand, China, Micronesia and Papua New Guinea. “We are exporting our range of electronic components

and are now developing LED street lighting for the Philippines. We are one of a small group that actually export to China. Most, as you know, import from China,” said Martinez.

The 2019 awards have a new spin on celebrating exports, with the Global Supply Chain Integration of the Year award. Nominees for this award will be evaluated on their unique experience and/or products that allow them to successfully access the global supply chain.

Companies must be able to demonstrate the extent of their international network and reach, as well as showing how they have adapted to succeed in the international market.

As part of the Endeavour Awards 2019, the best in global supply chain integration will be announced on May 16 at the Arts Centre Melbourne, along with a number of other prestigious awards. To be a part of the Endeavour Awards, companies can submit nominations online at www.endeavourawards.com.au.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 29

Efficiency

Comblift makes forklifts to suit a company’s specific needs.

Lifting productivity with space-saving equipment Business growth is key, but creating space to do so can be costly. Miri Schroeter speaks to one forklift manufacturer that gives businesses the freedom to move.

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UST as time is of the essence, space is also of the essence in any business looking to increase its reach. Take any large city – crammed with cars manoeuvring past one another, packed with people making an L-shape to get to the next store in a crowd of oncoming foot traffic, and a city laden with companies fighting for an affordable and convenient space to grow their business. The latter is an issue many manufacturers know all too well. While growing a business is key, keeping costs down is also paramount.

Combilift, a customised handling solutions company established in Ireland, makes manoeuvrability on 30 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

the factory floor easier, so less space is taken up by bulky machinery.

The company’s forklifts are multidirectional and handle anything from long loads, live poultry, and awkward loads up to 100 tonnes.

Storage capacity can be restricted when production supply increases, but Combilift managing director Martin McVicar said using forklifts that can work in constricted spaces helps.

“Where a manufacturing company makes its money is on its production supply. The forklifts save space and allow the handling of products more safely.”

Combilift helps companies expand their business without the hassle of

having to find a larger space, which can be more expensive to run and increases costs during relocation, said McVicar.

“We can let them grow without acquiring another building. We can help some grow by up to 50 per cent. If we are not giving our clients a return on investment, we are not selling them the right equipment.”

The C-Series Combilift product range, for example, has lift heights of up to nine metres and lift capacities up to 25,000kg. The range can work in guided aisles as narrow as 2100mm.

The C-series has the ability to quickly change the direction of its wheels and move in any direction. This

four-way movement gives the forklift the versatility to transport long loads through narrow doorways and around objects.

Fit for the Australian market Combilift has been in Australia for 17 years and the company exports to 85 countries. “Australia might not be close to Ireland but Australia was one of our early export markets. It’s our fifth largest export market,” he said.

McVicar meets customers’ needs by listening to what equipment they would like to see that isn’t on the market. One example of this was the need for a straddle carrier that could hold up to 25 tonnes. manmonthly.com.au

Efficiency We can let them grow without acquiring another building. We can help some grow by up to 50 per cent. If we are not giving our clients a return on investment, we are not selling them the right equipment.

“We thought it was possible to make this happen. We developed the Combilift Straddle Carrier. It weighs about 20 tonnes, but it’s designed to lift 30 tonnes.” Launched in 2010, the Combilift Straddle Carrier range was developed as a more cost effective and flexible solution for distribution, shipping and haulage companies even with relatively low throughput levels.

It offers complete independence when moving large, fully laden containers and other oversized loads around sites.

Similarly, Combilift’s largest Australian customer, Bunnings, wanted a forklift that was safe to use around pedestrians, so Combilift created a machine that is now used in most Bunnings stores in Australia, said McVicar.

“It very much came from a

Combilift is up for a Forklift Truck of the Year award at IFOY 2019.

manmonthly.com.au

request from Bunnings in Australia, but the product is now available worldwide. In a Bunnings store it’s a mixed environment. Customers are walking and shopping while forklifts are working. That encouraged us to develop the Combilift Walkie Reach.”

It is a pedestrian reach stacker, which can work in an aisle width of 2m pallet-to-pallet. It has a lift capacity of 1450kg and a multi-directional, four-way option is also available. The patented multi-position tiller enables push button rotation of the rear wheel parallel to the chassis and back, allowing the operator to remain in the safest possible position when placing and picking in narrow aisles, namely at the side of the unit rather than between the truck and the racking.

This improves forward visibility

Combilift managing director Martin McVicar said the right forklift can help companies save space in thier factories.

and reduces the risk of incidents in tight confines.

Recognised for expertise With its space saving and manoeuvrability innovations, one of Combilift’s forklifts has been nominated as a finalist in the International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY)

awards 2019. From an international pool of applicants, just 15 products have been selected for an IFOY award, which honours the best products and solutions of the year.

The Combi-PPT powered pallet truck with 8,000kg capacity is one of three products shortlisted by the jury in the Warehouse Truck category.

The Combi-PPT is a high performance pedestrian-operated, powered pallet truck with a range of capacities up to 16,000kg, which enables the safe and secure transportation of heavy loads without the need for a ride-on forklift.

The features of the truck include Combilift’s unique, patented multiposition tiller arm. The design ensures optimum visibility of the load and surroundings for the operator and guarantee maximum safety in areas where other personnel may be present, in busy production plants for example. Its manoeuvrability enables efficient and productive operation in confined spaces.

Each finalist’s equipment will undergo an audit and innovation check in Hanover, Germany. Judges will test for qualities such as technology, design, ergonomics, safety, marketability, customer benefit and sustainability.

Winners will be announced at an IFOY awards night on April 26 in Vienna, Austria.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 31

JUNE 2019 – PACKAGING, WRAPPING, LABELLING & PACKAGING EQUIPMENT For many operations, the final steps of packaging, wrapping and labelling their goods can turn into a bottleneck. These final processes can also affect the quality of a product in the hands of the consumer.

In June 2019, we will speak with companies providing solutions to every level of manufacturing operation.

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COMPRESSORS, PUMPS & HYDRAULICS At the core of any manufacturing operation, are the working parts that keep the plant running.

In June 2019, we will look at the latest advancements in compressors, pumps, and hydraulics that are limiting downtime, and ensuring efficient operations.

Booking deadline: 6 MAY 2019

To book contact DANILO CORTUCCI now danilo.cortucci@primecreative.com.au | 0434 419 663

Software &Systems IoT solutions improve sustainability processes Mouser Electronics stocks products that help create more efficient work processes.

Manufacturers’ Monthly explains.

Mouser Electronics offers devices for many IoT applications.

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2018 PwC report, Australia’s IoT Opportunity: Driving Future Growth, stated that across five industries assessed, which represent 25 per cent of Australia’s GDP, the Internet of Things (IoT) can achieve potential annual benefits of $194-$308 billion over a period of 8-18 years. This impact translates into average productivity improvements of about 2 per cent per annum across construction, mining, manufacturing, healthcare and agriculture.

Along with the significant growth IoT brings to these industries, IoT solutions can also contribute to sustainability by making new, more robust business models possible.

IoT driven devices are often implemented on the factory floor to streamline processes for more reliability and efficiency. These processes not only help run quicker manmonthly.com.au

and more accurate operations, but they also lower operational costs as machines pick up errors in real-time and minimise downtime.

These same IoT systems are making notable contributions to environmental sustainability.

For example, systems can detect the overuse of power in certain applications of a facility – giving manufacturers a notification of when and where they may need to change their practices to implement more sustainably viable options.

Mouser Electronics helps manufacturers lead the way in sustainable IoT solutions.

The company is a supplier of semiconductors and electronic components for more than 750 manufacturers. Mouser specialises in the rapid introduction of new products and technologies for design

engineers and buyers.

The products Mouser stocks for the Australian market include Analog Devices’ broad range of solutions aimed at helping manufacturers of original industrial equipment accelerate their path to Industry 4.0.

Analog Devices’ integrated monitoring and control components combine Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) and Digital to Analog Converter (DAC), temperature sensors, General Purpose Input Output (GPIOs), and current sensing technologies in a wide range of configurations. Active Directory Integration (ADI) solutions save space over discrete implementations, simplify operations and provide configurability to a variety of systems. These products are ideal for general system monitoring of peripherals such as power supplies or

system voltages and currents. Used in wireless base stations, optical transceivers, transponders, and industrial systems such as building control, these converters offer versatility and flexibility.

Mouser also stocks Texas Instruments range, which includes the newly released mmWave technology for the global industrial market. Introduced in November 2018, the IWR1642 mmWave sensors enable industrial automation through on-chip processing capabilities, providing real-time decisionmaking and signal processing in industrial settings.

Along with Analog Devices’ products and Texas Instruments’ range, Mouser Electronics stocks many more applications that can help manufacturers meet their IoT and sustainability goals.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 33

Software &Systems Radio-frequency identification plays vital role in manufacturing Manufacturing could go full circle as individualisation starts to creep into the process engineering equation. Mike Wheeler speaks to Sick’s Praveen Kannan about the coming trend.

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ENRY Ford takes most of the credit for introducing mass production practices to industrialised nations. Starting out in the late 1910s, Ford realised that setting up a production line provided an efficient mechanism to produce high-quality, in-demand products. In his case, the motor car.

Ford knew that not only could time be saved, but money, too, if these assembly lines were set up properly.

Who would think more than a 100 years later, manufacturers are now looking to produce very short product lines – even only one item – in a nod back to the days where most products were hand built. That is what the near future holds according to Praveen Kannan, market product manager for sensor specialist Sick.

“We are seeing that Industry 4.0 is moving from highly automated manufacturing lines,

to more autonomous, self-learning manufacturing lines,” said Kannan.

“We are also seeing the move from the mass production industrialisation to individual industrialisation, such as producing a quantity of one – an increased quantities of SKUs, but not having a large number of them. I call it industrialisation to individualisation. From a quality perspective, what we are seeing is the real-time improvement and so

forth to continuous process options.

What we are seeing is processes being adapted based on data and artificial intelligence.”

It is with this trend in mind that Kannan talks about the company’s radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensors, which he said will have an important role to play in the coming decade, not only in terms of individual manufacturing but the traceability of the items.

Radio-frequency identification is enabling the traceability of product in agricultural supply chains.

34 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

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Software&Systems “RFID technology has been used in the US and Australian Defence forces for a very long time to manage logistics in battle field operations,” said Kannan. “This technology came into commercial use in early 2000 when major retailers such as Walmart and Target issued a mandate to their suppliers to have RFID tags instead of barcodes. The next generation of this technology is what Sick is pioneering.

It is being used to not just identify what the product is, but also provide ways for humans to interact with it.”

For example, it is possible to get a smart phone to interact with a product in a supermarket that will tell the user the history and the lifecycle of the product – from raw material to how it was manufactured, to the supply chain and then to the shelf.

“This technology is enabling the traceability of product in an agricultural or industrial supply chain – from raw materials all the way to the store,” said Kannan.

“These are areas where Sick’s products have found a way to interact with each other. Identify the product, interact with the product and then the authentication of the product.

“For example, we have seen the situation [where a product] has been contaminated and has become a huge issue in terms of being recalled, which affects the consumer confidence significantly. If there is RFID technology in place we can securely articulate and authenticate the source – what farm it came

Industry 4.0 is moving processes to self-learning manufacturing lines. from, who the farmer involved in different stages of the farming process was and so forth. This technology is enabling us to provide a way to securely authenticate the product itself.”

A side effect of how things work now means that Sick has changed its sales model when it comes to selling its Industry 4.0 sensors to its clients. The company used to heavily push selling value – that is, what is the ROI for sensor technology? Is it 18 or 24 months?

“Now, when we go into a conversation around Industry 4.0,

Sick Australia has sensor solutions suited for all manufacturing facilities, including the food sector.

manmonthly.com.au

it is more like trend-based selling,” said Kannan. “The reason it is more trend-based selling is that some of the benefits are not quantifiable in the sense that we are uncovering benefits as we implement the technology. This is why there are early adaptors who certainly acknowledge the trend is happening and acknowledge that being an early adaptor will provide them with an advantage over other companies.”

Kannan said the company is concentrating on process engineering industries, and the food and beverage industry.

“The kind of manufacturing is a broad spectrum – automotive manufacturing, hardware manufacturing such as the wood industry,” said Kannan. “Also the chemical and paint industries.

Continuous data collection and continuous process optimisation – that is also where there is a need from the consumer point of view to make more customised product than a more mass produced one.”

Sick is also not shy in putting it out there that it wants app developers to come on board, too.

“Our AppSpace enables app developers and encourages them to develop apps for and on the sensors,” said Kannan. “On top of

our developer platform, we have what we call an AppPool, which sits in the cloud and allows collaboration in terms of data sharing that allows general analytics, mission learning and prediction tools on top of the data that we collect.”

And when it comes to modern sensors and Industry 4.0, data is becoming an increasing key ingredient in the equation. Kannan said Sick realised this sometime ago and has a large number of sensors that can capture a whole range of data in a variety of applications.

“The key differentiation for the market is the spectrum of sensors we have to capture the data. You need to capture data to analyse the data. We have a wide variety of sensors to capture data be it laserbased technology, or camera-based technology or RFID technology, we have it covered.”

Process engineering and manufacturing are always going to be about producing primary products. But as data collection becomes an important part of the equation, the sensor is can make sure not only that a plant is running smoothly, but that it is providing information that can save time and money to a manufacturer’s bottom line.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 35

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Manufacturing Strategies Tyres get a new lease of life Australians are making the most of a product that was once thrown out.

Manufacturers’ Monthly explains how end-of-life tyres can be used in numerous applications.

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OAD building and civil engineering are creating demand for specialised products that use recycled rubber.

This is giving tyres a second life as they are used in their entirety in the manufacture of new solutions for old challenges.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) explained that more than 56 million tyres used nationwide every year can be recycled for new projects. They can be used to create road surfaces, equine tracks, sound and impact barriers, permeable paving, soil retention and stabilising solutions.

TSA, which was formed to promote the development of viable markets for end-of-life tyres, works with governments and organisations to keep tyres rolling well after they have left the bottom of a vehicle.

In South Australia, the City of Mitcham council worked with TSA on testing the use of crumbed rubber modified asphalt designed to deliver better roads. The municipality has laid a 335 metre stretch of innovative road surface that is undergoing testing to gauge various performance factors, such as cracking, rutting, moisture retention and longevity.

TSA hopes that these tests will result in the increased use of crumbed rubber modified materials nation-wide.

Sustainable horse tracks A recent trial of a horse track surface, made with a mix of recycled tyre rubber, at Racing Victoria’s Pakenham Racecourse has yielded successful outcomes. The product called Equine Air, by Flexiroc Australia, is a free-draining, lowimpact surface that improves water drainage and increases cushioning, thus increasing track utility and reducing injury to horses.

The aim is for Equine Air to become the benchmark for the training surfaces of Racing Victoria, manmonthly.com.au

Recycled tyres can be used for many new projects including the creation of road surfaces and equine tracks.

with each track potentially using up to 1,000 tonnes of recycled rubber. There are also plans to look at exporting the concept to racing tracks worldwide.

Pavements that water trees TSA is also supporting research by the University of Melbourne into the use of tyre-derived products to create an urban permeable pavement that can help provide water to nearby trees. The resulting product improves the flexibility of pavements and allows rainwater to soak through the top surface, improving soil moisture, and reducing surface runoff.

TSA CEO Lina Goodman said in developing and manufacturing new products, and in testing their use for broader application, industry, local government and Tyre Stewardship are addressing a sustainability challenge.

The projects deliver better infrastructure and create valuable jobs in domestic recycling of end-oflife tyres, said Goodman.

“TSA also calls on Australian manufacturing at large to embark in this outstanding opportunity. If any company is searching for a way to differentiate its business, it should consider the features and benefits

of tyre-derived products as well as the funding support available through TSA. “Our support of all activity in this area will increase in the future as we push for ways to create solutions for a previously intractable issue,” she said.

Tyres create durable walls Other applications include tyres used to create walls. In Western Australia, TSA accredited recycler, Lomwest Enterprises, has created a high-performance wall system using

baled end-of-life tyres sandwiched between highly stable concrete skins.

This modular walling system is called C4M and can be used for retaining walls, sound barriers, sea walls, and even as blast and impact barriers.

Each C4M module contains 100 tightly baled tyres, can be up to 2.4 metres in height and meets stability, durability and load standards that include the requirements for cyclone shelters and fire-rated partition walls.

New South Wales engineering firm, Ecoflex International, employs recycled truck tyres as the central component of retaining walls that deliver greater stability than traditional construction and offer an extended life to the used tyres.

Constructed in an overlapping crib-like pattern, the gravity walls consist of truck tyres that have had the sidewalls removed that are then filled with crushed rock.

The resulting wall offers all the properties of more onerous retaining walls while providing excellent drainage and improved stability in critical soils.

Ecoflex wall systems have been installed at domestic and commercial construction sites. Additional uses include road and railway bases built on wet or unstable terrain.

TSA is supporting research by the University of Melbourne into the use of tyre-derived products to create an urban permeable pavement.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 37

Safety@MM Keeping a facility safe comes down to even the smallest components Under-estimating the risk of a transformer bushing failure can result in significant damage to a manufacturing facility, according to FM Global Australia. The company’s senior account manager Terry Lee explains.

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NY business manager or executive responsible for operating transformers should be acutely aware of the possible consequences if they suffer a breakdown. The potential impact on production commitments and financial performance is enough to give people nightmares.

Bushings are one of the most important transformer components to monitor because their failure can result in fire and even explosions.

Research cited in a study by Western Power and ABB claims high-voltage bushings contribute to about 30 per cent of all fires and explosions associated with transformer breakdowns.

Transformers are commonly operated by manufacturers, power generation and transmission companies, as well as mines, smelters, steel mills, pulp and paper plants and chemical plants. So how do people reduce the risk of bushing failure in a business?

FM Global insures 1,800 powergeneration facilities worldwide, including about 20 per cent of Australia’s – and seven per cent of the world’s – generation capacity.

This insurance coverage includes more than 100,000 transformers.

About two thirds of these transformers are in manufacturing facilities, including steel mills, pulp and paper plants, chemical plants and general manufacturing. FM Global manufacturing clients’ loss experience has shown that in the past 10 years, bushing failures accounted for just over a third (34 per cent) of transformer failures and a fifth (20 per cent) of transformer losses.

FM Global uses its extensive track record and specialist insurance model to help reduce bushing failure risk. Along the way FM 38 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Global has uncovered some key trends and best practices that can help manufacturers reduce bushingrelated downtime and loss.

Billion-dollar losses Globally during the past decade, FM Global’s clients in the power

generation sector have experienced transformer losses of about $1.3 billion due to more than 550 transformer failures. Bushings accounted for eight per cent of failures and 12 per cent of losses.

After comparing its numbers against research by other specialist

organisations, FM Global found these numbers ring true beyond its client base.

To help clients reduce risk, FM Global wanted to get a better idea of what causes bushing failure. The company started by looking for any correlation between bushing

FM Global recommends that transformer operators keep spare bushings for facilities onsite.

manmonthly.com.au

Safety@MM age and failure. One operator experienced the misfortune of bushing failure after five years of use with a cost of over US$15 million. At the other end of the scale, another operator experienced a failure after 63 years of use that only resulted in a small cost to the business.

Most bushing failures occur between 10 and 30 years of use, but FM Global’s research was unable to draw a definitive correlation between bushing failure and age.

Although there’s no hard and fast rule, there’s good reason to replace bushings at least once in a transformer’s life.

High-voltage bushings contribute to about 30 per cent of all fires and explosions.

Testing regimes Is there an ideal testing regime to minimise risk? FM Global has seen many transformer owners experience bushing failures caused by poor test procedures or where equipment is improperly returned to service after an offline test. FM Global believes that it makes sense to only move to offline testing or more intrusive testing if the results of online monitoring suggest that there’s a need for more testing.

Online monitoring and contingency planning help operators to understand when a piece of equipment will likely fail and implement remediation steps. FM Global recommends that transformer operators adopt online monitoring to help minimise the risk of bushing failures.

Online monitoring and diagnostics of bushings can include visual inspections by experts, thermographic surveys, acoustic, corona and partial discharge measurements as well as permanently installed transformer manmonthly.com.au

FM Global recommends that transformer operators adopt online monitoring to help minimise the risk of bushing failures. condition monitoring devices. As part of online monitoring, FM Global feels that it’s essential for operators to adopt the benchmark International Council on Large Electric Systems model of asset maintenance.

To further minimise disruption in the event of a problem, FM Global also recommends that transformer operators keep spare bushings maintained in good condition onsite.

Preventing losses FM Global believes that the majority of losses are preventable.

The company wants to work with clients that share this philosophy and demonstrate commitment to it through risk management practices.

Over the years, FM Global has developed powerful analytics tools that predict when equipment or locations are likely to experience losses. The company then makes recommendations to minimise the risk of these losses happening.

The devil is in the detail.

Bushings are a fraction of the transformer’s cost, but their failure can result in the loss of not just the transformer but also peripheral damage to other equipment in a manufacturing plant and lost revenue.

FM Global believes that the price of a failure is too high to ignore.

There’s great value in manufacturers making their business more resilient and less exposed to nasty surprises.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 39

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Events@MM University and industry collaborated to create a drone that detects sharks at beaches.

AI technology used for public safety While drones often get a bad rap for hovering over public places, a university and industry collaboration has put the technology to good use.

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EEPING everyone safe is in the best interest of individuals, companies and governments. For one university, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and safety were combined to tackle a danger that occurs on many Australian beaches – sharks.

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the Ripper Group created a shark-spotting drone to protect beach-goers in Australia.

Speaking at the Industrial Internet 4.0 Summit in Sydney in February, UTS professor Michael Blumenstein explained how the university collaborated with industry to provide solutions to issues using AI. “It just so happens that there’s a lot of AI sitting in universities. We will work with industry to create an environment of engagement.” He said UTS undertakes research that is very transferable to industry and is manmonthly.com.au

able to be commercialised.

“We collaborated with the Ripper Group to develop the world’s first shark-spotting drones to be able to detect sharks from video surveillance imagery in the water using a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

“The processing of the video, which is data, needs to be trained and needs to be autonomous. So we used an AI learning algorithm for that.

“The technology is now being deployed at over 15 beaches in New South Wales and Queensland and by the end of this year, I suspect it will be up to about 56 because the Ripper Group has just got another contract with Westpac,” said Blumenstein.

With applications such as this one, there is room to use it in different fields. “It will be able to attract not just sharks but many other animals in the water. It will also be able to detect any danger.

It’s there to protect beach goers and save lives.

“This a great example of AI that’s actually been applied for the purpose of a social good application,” he said.

Room for improvement While advances in technology are helping people build products such as the shark-spotting drone, Blumenstein explained that there is plenty of research needed to push AI further.

“In 2019 we are pretty much seeing the top of a peak that’s been building for about a year where people are actually saying they are employing it in their business, in industry and in university.

“But actually, there’s a lot of things that AI can’t do.”

One sticking point for AI is a lack of human touch. Where AI is at now,

humans are able to detect when they are speaking to a computer and when they are speaking to another human.

“Will there be a time where the human can’t detect the difference of whether the conversation is coming from a computer or a human being? To this day we haven’t passed the test yet.

“Even with the simplest things we take for granted, such as speech and being able to understand the fact that we can communicate as humans, regular computers still haven’t got the perfect grasp of that yet.”

Blumenstein and other industry experts shared their views on the current state of Industry 4.0, challenges business and industry face, and how technology can advance industry – including manufacturing.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 41

Events@MM Making new technology a friend, not a foe Implementing the latest Industry 4.0 technologies is only worth it if companies know how to make the most of their new systems. Manufacturers’ Monthly explains.

Dr Leon Prentice, left, and Dr Steve Dowey spoke about the role Industry 4.0 plays in manufacturing.

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N order to make the most of Industry 4.0 and what is has to offer manufacturers, businesses need to know how to go about using the technologies correctly. This is the message from industry experts who attended the Industrial Internet 4.0 Summit at the University Technology Sydney (UTS) in late February.

UTS professor of engineering John Broadbent said manufacturers need to ensure their products are open sourced so they can easily connect with other technologies and equipment.

“Manufacturers, particularly with their machinery, are being asked to make sure that the kit they are buying is open source. There’s no point buying a piece of equipment that in five years’ time, or even tomorrow when you get the gear, you can’t get data out of that equipment 42 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

to then put up into any system,” said Broadbent.

Where people have used old systems and are for example moving to the cloud, there is a worry that if it is not open sourced or easily accessible and transferable, that information will be lost.

“What I’m seeing that’s a concern to me is that we used to have sitebased silos of information. Getting data out of those silos has been part of a challenge,” he said.

“One of the concerns I see in the market place is that we’ve effectively in some cases done nothing more than uplifted this site base on premise silo into a cloudbased silo. Beware that if you’re going to move data out of the edge coal face and you’re going to put that into the cloud – who owns the data?

“Do you have access to that

data and can you share that data amongst other systems?”

When investing in new technologies, Broadbent suggested that manufacturers think carefully about what they are investing rather than trying to jump from nothing to the best without doing research.

“One of the things I’m concerned about is that as organisations start to invest in this technology very few are not risk adverse. “I’ve seen a lot of organisations that just don’t know how to get from Industry 3.0 to 4.0.

“The two precursor steps that are needed to start the journey are computerisation and connectivity.”

Broadbent explained that without the equipment to acquire all the data in a company, and without the right infrastructure in place such as cyber security and network switches, “you’re stuffed”.

“You’ve got to start somewhere

and the way to start is through small proof of concepts. Set them up for success, not for failure.”

There needs to be governance and policies in place with a mediumto long-term plan, said Broadbent.

“I had a customer recently in a fully integrated processing plant that was built four years ago. The engineer in that plant went out and bought a $15 million purpose-built lasagne line. He doesn’t own the source code in the chiller, he doesn’t own the code in the oven. The stuff is password protected, he can’t get in and change the IP address to put it in his network.

“I look at that and think that’s just insanity,” said Broadbent.

While being able to access the information in the first place is pertinent, manufacturers can often struggle to use the data they receive.

CSIRO research program director Dr Leon Prentice explained that knowing what to do with machines and the information they can provide is important.

“There are two parts to Industry 4.0 – gathering the information you need and doing something useful with it. Where people break down is generally on one of those two.

“Either they are gathering useful things, or not gathering things, or they are not actually doing anything with it, but just sticking it into a giant excel file that just keeps growing and they don’t have the tools to do anything with it.”

Prentice said, by knowing how to use and read information, manufacturers could save on simple aspects of their factories such as knowing when to turn off the lights based on the amount of usage.

UTS professor Michael Blumenstein said people need to be aware that there is no single solution to Industry 4.0.

“There is no general Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

“There is not possibility of having manmonthly.com.au

Events@MM one platform that can solve all of your AI needs.

“Usually they are tailored solutions. When you design an AI system or buy one there is no sure bullet.

“Be aware of any one that tells you, ‘I’ve got the solution for you’,” said Blumenstein.

While there are some issues to be aware of, Blumenstein said that manufacturing is generally the perfect area to apply AI. “The AI can also be used for prediction ahead of time and this is where it will be a really powerful thing for people to use.

“The AI can give you an

indicator when something is going wrong in real time. But where I think the real power of the AI is, is in the prediction. This is extremely important.”

Blumenstein gave an example of a plant not being monitored properly. If there’s no in-depth preventative maintenance plan and no ongoing inspection process, the plant can explode, costing millions of dollars, he said.

“You’ve got two ways to look at things there’s reactive maintenance, which is the old-fashioned approach – there’s obviously manual inspection involved – and there’s the other part, which is preventative

maintenance. These days, a lot of that preventative maintenance can occur with AI, with robotics and other automated approaches.

“What that can do for any organisation is save millions when things go wrong,” said Blumenstein.

However, with any system that collects large amounts of data, there can be issues that also need to be prevented where possible. “The challenge of course for anyone is you need a lot of data for this. A lot of the learning algorithms are very data hungry and if you don’t have the data you can’t train your technology as effectively. That’s why it’s so important that the data is so

readily available,” he said.

“It needs to potentially be stored and looked after to be readily available.”

The Industrial Internet 4.0 summits was held from February 26-27, with senior level executives from the Australian manufacturing industry gathering to discuss developing their digital strategies.

The summit attracts leading authorities from government, business, academia and industry associations keen to share their experiences and to look at best practices for manufacturers keen to implement change across their organisation.

Acquiring data and knowing what to use it for are two important steps to making the most of technology in a facility.

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 43

Events@MM Accessing grants advances business growth Meeting customer demand can be challenging when businesses aren’t able to splurge on new facilities or equipment. Miri Schroeter reports.

An AMGC-led event was held at the University of Technology Sydney in February.

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ANUFACTURERS are increasingly struggling to meet demand in an ever-growing industry, according to Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) director Michael Sharpe. He and other industry experts discussed businesses’ access to capital, at an event held at the University of Technology Sydney(UTS).

“It’s a different conversation that we are having this year compared to about three years ago. The issues back then as we all know were, ‘How is my business going to survive? What should I do to get more customers?’

“Now the conversation is more 44 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

around, ‘I’ve got so much work, I need people and I need people with the right skills. Where do I find them?’”

Sharpe said informing people that manufacturing is a growing sector is an important part in helping grow the industry and individual businesses seeking suitable people for emerging jobs.

“If the next generation coming through don’t think there’s any prospect in manufacturing we could lose a generation. So for the benefit of all of us and for the benefit of Australia, we need to tell that story. There is a bright future for Australian manufacturing. It’s vitally important and we all have a part to

play in that,” Sharpe explained at the AMGC-led event in February.

Government departments were also present to share a number of options businesses have in taking advantage of grant schemes within Australia and New South Wales.

Jobs for NSW director of client engagement Fiona Rose said while researching the industry, Jobs for NSW discovered that fast growth SMEs and early stage businesses are creating significant job growth in the region.

A NSW government Jobs for the Future 2016 report stated that between 2008 and 2014, high-growth SMEs, which make up six per cent

of NSW firms, created more than 1 million new jobs. But, Rose said creating jobs can be difficult if the support is not there.

“One of the biggest challenges this group of businesses have is access to capital and accessing the money they need to help their growth,” she said.

“We came up with some products to suit businesses at their different stages. We’ve got performance-based grants for really early-based prerevenue start-ups. We’ve got debt finance for businesses that have contract revenues coming in and need to access up to $1.2 million.”

As well as this, there are also manmonthly.com.au

Events@MM The issues back then as we all know were, ‘How is my business going to survive? What should I do to get more customers?’ Now the conversation is more around, ‘I’ve got so much work, I need people and I need people with the right skills. Where do I find them? equity grants for businesses that are more developed, said Rose. Although there are many opportunities with Jobs for NSW and other government organisations, Rose suggested taking time to research the most suitable grants for each business.

“There’s a lot out there, which is fantastic, but make sure you chose the products that are right for you.

You don’t want to waste your time on a product that you’re not eligible for that won’t give you that scale you need. Do your research.”

The NSW government also offers funding specifically for energy savings and efficiency. More than $16 million in funding is available through the manufacturing efficiency funding scheme. This funding helps businesses upgrade energy monitoring systems, replace or retrofit old equipment and improve manufacturing processes.

Successful applicants can receive up to $120,000 in matched funding per site for a project that saves gas

or electricity. The scheme offers three funding options: • Metering and process optimisation for up to $50,000 per site. This allows businesses to install or upgrade monitoring systems to improve control of machinery and processes.

• Simple and energy efficiency upgrades for multiple projects of up to $30,000 per site. This allows businesses to replace or retrofit technologies such as economisers on boilers and variable speed drives.

• Measured and verified energy efficiency upgrades of up to $70,000 per site. This allows businesses to implement complex energy efficiency projects such as heat recovery and boiler upgrades. This offer involves verifying energy savings using an internationally recognised method.

NSW government heritage officer David Hoffman said there are factors such as employee behaviour that contribute to energy usage.

An AMGC-led event gave business owners an insight into available grants in Australia.

manmonthly.com.au

AMGC director Michael Sharpe it’s important to inform people that manufacturing is a growing sector.

“Our programme looks at upskilling for businesses. If you’re running a business you are using energy every single day so you have to understand what the different aspects are that are influencing your bills. Is it stuff outside of your control? Are there factors in terms of the behaviour of your employees’ knowledge, which affect your dayto-day use of energy? When you actually have this platform of an organisational level of management systems you are able to affect those type of things more directly. We want to integrate that whole process.

“Our program looks at a lot of upskilling for businesses and it’s particularly in the three areas of business skills, energy skills and technical skills, which are distinct but also related.

One of the programs on offer is a variety of industry skills training courses. These include: • Energy efficient lighting, which identifies current lighting technologies, controls and upgrade opportunities.

• Introduction to energy

management, which helps people analyse and understand energy bills and contract negotiations.

• Advanced energy management, which gives people a practical knowledge and tools to ensure good energy management practices are put in place.

• Battery storage for business, which is designed to help people find out if battery storage is the most efficient method for their business.

It teaches business owners how to evaluate quotes and identify risks associated with battery storage systems.

UTS associate dean for the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, Michael Blumenstein, said the university is interested in the industry-university interface.

“The research we undertake at UTS has a fundamental role to play.

Our research must be grounded in practical outcomes.”

The event brought industry, government and businesses from start-ups to SMEs together for the common purpose of growing the manufacturing industry.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 45

Events@MM

AUSPACK brought exhibitors from overseas and Australia together.

AUSPACK exhibitors range from international to Australian owned Exhibitors come from all over the world to AUSPACK, with this year being no exception.

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NTERNATIONAL exhibitors made up a sizeable contingent of the companies exhibiting at AUSPACK 2019 in March.

The Packaging and Processing Week event has grown over the past decade, into a well-visited expo that focuses on innovation of the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors.

At AUSPACK 2017, there were 87

AUSPACK was held during Packaging and Processing week in late March.

46 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

international exhibitors among the 351 exhibiting companies. In 2019 the event was the largest on record.

This year, there was an additional 1,500 sqm of exhibition space helping to accommodate 100 international exhibitors.

As part of this international focus, AUSPACK 2019 included a dedicated Italian pavilion among

its other global exhibitors.

The Italian pavilion hosted companies such as Cama Group, Clevertech, Makro Labelling, Ronchi Packaging Machinery, Tosa Group, and Universal-Pack.

Aside from the Italian pavilion, there were companies from France such as Lagarde Autoclaves, which showcased a variety of retort systems, and German company Dinies, which exhibited its range of UV tunnels for sterilisation.

From Asia, there were companies such as Louis Adhesive Tapes from Thailand, Tomypak Flexible Packaging from Malaysia, and Taisei Lamick from Japan.

AUSPACK 2019 was held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 26-29 along with a Business and Industry Conference.

Conference speakers spoke about a world driven by technology that is also driven by people as they influence the packaging industry with their values.

Keynote speakers included Shelley McMillan, associate director of consulting for Australia and New Zealand at Mintel who will talk about “The Future Consumer – It’s Not Just About Millennials”.

A qualified food technologist, McMillan has worked at Nestle, General Mills and Associated British Foods in marketing, managing brand strategy and new product launches across multiple markets.’

In the keynote, she looked at the challenges, opportunities and paths for brands to widen their focus beyond Gen Y, to the vast senior cohort.

McMillan discussed this demographic’s diverse segments, looking at trends and prospects for brands in targeting seniors who don’t want to be labelled as “old” but who do often have special needs.

Angeline Achariya, CEO, Monash Food Innovation Centre also provided a case study titled “Keeping Up With The Customers – Customer Driven Innovation”. manmonthly.com.au

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Forensic science’s place in manufacturing Special gases laboratory manager Cassandra Barton speaks to Manufacturers’ Monthly about what makes her job the right fit for her as a forensic scientist.

Cassandra Barton works as a special gases laboratory team leader for BOC.

48 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

F

ORENSIC science can take people in all directions.

Often a forensics occupation delves into many disciplines such as anthropology, ballistics, biology, chemical criminalistics, crime scene examination, document examination, toxicology, computer forensics and digital imaging. The Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency categorises forensic science into four groups – field sciences, laboratory service, forensic medicine and digital evidence.

With so many exciting career opportunities, Cassandra Barton embarked on a forensics career more than a decade ago. When she began studying forensic science she imagined working with the police force, who scour crime scenes for clues related to a number of incidents

many of us would not even imagine coming close to. However, after completing a Bachelor of Forensics at the University of Canberra, Barton soon realised the options were far more widespread than investigating blood-stained garments and fingerprints on weapons. Eleven years ago she became a laboratory technician for BOC – a gas and welding equipment manufacturer.

“BOC is different to the job I imagined, but I really enjoy it. I started as a laboratory technician fresh out of university. About six months later I was moved up to a chemist position. Then about 18 months after that I was moved into a co-ordinator role.”

In 2015, Barton became a special gases laboratory team leader and she said the variety and growth manmonthly.com.au

Women in Industry opportunities that have come her way drive her to continue in a role she never predicted to be in after studying forensics science.

“Forensics has always taken my interest but it’s a pretty difficult field to get into. To get a job straight out of university is tough. Although it’s a growing industry, when I finished in 2008 there were limited jobs,” she said.

Transitioning to the workforce Barton said workplace environments and the skills required to do a job are different to what students are taught at university. Barton experienced this herself when transitioning to the workforce, and as a team leader she is experiencing it again through her staff.

“We are quite a young team and a new team. I’m the oldest and I’m only 32. About 70 per cent of the team has been with the company for a year or less.

“Because it’s most people’s first role out of university, they are very keen to learn and ready for anything.

But, they realise working life is a bit different to university life and getting used to that can be a challenge.

It’s about making sure they see the overall picture. It’s also learning that we are working for our customers and knowing it’s not just about the science,” she said.

Boosting opportunities With BOC Australia’s customers base growing, the company opened a new $20 million specialty gases production facility at its Sydney Operations Centre in Wetherill Park. At the time of the facility opening, in early 2018, BOC South Pacific managing director John Evans said the new specialty gases facility will increase BOC’s capacity to locally produce and supply more than 8,000 high purity and specialty gases to many high value industries in Australia, such as manufacturing and energy exports.

“With leading-edge laboratory technology and a highly experienced team of chemists, the new facility offers the best in quality, precision and safety – allowing BOC to supply many scientific and calibration gases manmonthly.com.au

Cassandra Barton attends the opening of BOC’s new gas facility. in almost half the time and at higher packaging pressures,” said Evans.

Barton has been there through the development of the facility and she continues to work on getting the facility up to speed. “We lost about 50 per cent of our space so making sure business kept going was a challenge.”

She manages all the incoming work to the special gases facility and ensures the laboratory has all the technical support it needs. “One of my goals is still to get this facility up to where it should be.” Barton plans to continue maximising the use of the new facility adding to her 11-year tenure at BOC. Barton was a finalist for the Excellence in Manufacturing award at the Women in Industry Awards 2018.

Nominations for Women in Industry 2019 are now open. To nominate someone that you think should be recognised for their work, go to www. womeninindustry.com.au.

The categories for the 2019 awards, held on June 6 in Melbourne, are: Social Leader of the Year – This category recognises those individuals who have significantly affected positive change within their local or regional community.

Rising Start of the Year – Recognition for individuals who

With leading-edge laboratory technology and a highly experienced team of chemists, the new facility offers the best in quality, precision and safety. show significant promise within their chosen industry or who have reached new goals at the start of their career.

Business Development Manager of the Year – This category seeks out business development managers who have created new growth opportunities that allowed their organisation to expand and generate greater revenue.

Industry Advocacy Award – Recognition of individuals who have helped shape a positive view of their industry and/or helped to create a policy change which benefits those working in the sector.

Safety Advocacy Award – Safety is of utmost concern and this category highlights those individuals working actively to improve safety for their industry.

Mentor of the Year – This category recognises those individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to

developing female talent within their organisation and wider industry.

Excellence in Manufacturing – This category recognises an individual who has thought “outside the box” to implement an outstanding personal contribution to their manufacturing business and the wider manufacturing community.

Excellence in Mining – This category recognises individuals who have made a positive contribution to one of the many facets of the mining industry.

Excellence in Engineering – This award recognises an individual who has shown leadership in engineering, technological excellence and innovation.

Excellence in Road Transport – This category recognises an individual who has gone above and beyond to improve and positively impact the Australian road transport industry.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 49

ManufacturingStrategies Creating and maintaining a high-performing business model Building a work environment where employees feel engaged and empowered starts with management making a shift to a people-centric approach. Manufacturers’ Monthly finds out how to succeed by implementing these values from Note Printing Australia’s Peter Ballas.

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ANAGEMENT can get “stuck in their ways” when it comes to the daily operations of a workplace, according to Peter Ballas, head of operations at Note Printing Australia. Coming to the realisation that change is needed, is easier said than done. However, once that realisation is made, Ballas said a company, and individuals, can change dramatically for the benefit of a business.

Ballas is a mechanical engineer by trade, and focusing energy on creating a people-first approach to business isn’t something he was always accustomed to. “It’s quite confronting because as an engineer you get taught to follow process in a technical perspective.”

He said now more than ever, the thinking in a successful workplace is more people-focused and knowing the psychology behind how to interact with people is important. Ballas learned this through his experience as a member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME).

Through ongoing workshops, site visits and conferences, AME helps connect industry leaders to learn from each other and industry experts to excel in their fields.

“My approach has changed by seeing what the AME leaders and practitioners are doing,” said Ballas. After meeting Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company operations director Billy Taylor, who was a speaker at an AME conference, Ballas was able to learn about how Goodyear implemented operational excellence from him.

“I met Billy at a 2017 AME conference in Australia. I was sharing my challenges in my environment and he happened to be good enough to show me what he was up to and that just lit a bush fire that kept 50 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

I’ve always come out with new ideas of what I could be doing for my business. It’s a fantastic forum for ideas exchange, networking and site visits.

Peter Ballas said a shift in the thinking of management can improve business. burning. The AME has a tag line – Learn, Share and Grow, and I certainly experienced that.

“I’m starting to get a handle on the personal transformation I’ve had to undergo with my own thinking,

behaviours and attitudes – even to core values and getting my mind around leading with humility.

“Billy has been an ongoing influencer. It’s a massive change from a personal point of view,” said Ballas.

Taylor specialises in operations management and leadership, and he builds high performance selfsustaining teams through employee engagement and empowerment.

Taylor will be speaking at an AMErun, two-day conference, at the William Angliss Conference Centre in Melbourne from May 7-8, 2019.

“The conference is a great chance to see what the best of the best are doing,” said Ballas.

“I’ve always come out with new ideas of what I could be doing for my business. It’s a fantastic forum for ideas exchange, networking and site visits.”

On May 9, Note Printing and AME are presenting a workshop, in Victoria, with Taylor as the guest presenter. The workshop, Building a World Class Daily Management Process, will help management build a sustainable framework for their

AME national treasurer Barry McCarthy said successful leadership is about connecting the workplace.

Xxx.

manmonthly.com.au

Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau with her husband Tony Howard, left, are shown Note Printing’s operations by Matt Kendall.

businesses. Taylor will demonstrate how to develop and implement a daily management process that can turn poor performing organisations to the best.

This biggest takeout from Taylor’s sharing has been the impact on people, as his methodology provides clarity and purpose to day-today operations and encourages people to step up and drive the business forward.

Ballas said managers often get stuck in their ways, but being open to modern, innovative strategies can improve business significantly.

“Senior managers often rely on what’s worked in the past. That may not be what we need in the future. The workshop provides the knowhow on building a management framework that allows managers to understand and cope with complexity.”

Ballas said that while manmonthly.com.au

There’s a lot of interest in seeing how other people do things rather than just going into a classroom, people can go out and practically apply those things Billy is talking about. management and other employees used to work separately, it’s becoming more important to have a collaborative and inclusive approach.

“We’ve got to be open to this change.”

The workshop is practical and hands-on, allowing people to learn how to set up an effective daily management process that will communicate and visualise their strategy, which is integrated with an effective control and governance process to ensure tactical execution stays on track.

AME national treasurer Barry McCarthy said successful leadership is about connecting the workplace.

“What management and leadership are now trying to do is connect with the shop floor. It’s building the trust and relationship between the workers and management. It’s very much about all being in it together,” said McCarthy.

By having hands-on workshops, attendees are able to put their knowledge to practice, he said.

“There’s a lot of interest in seeing how other people do things rather

than just going into a classroom, people can go out and practically apply those things Billy is talking about.”

Management from all industries can receive help to find a clear purpose for their organisation and discover how they can execute the best daily management systems for their business. Note Printing’s journey will be shared and people can learn about what the company did to transform its business to the next level.

The workshop is open to senior executives and managers who are serious about getting alignment in their organisation and implementing an effective management process. It’s also suitable for business excellence leaders who want to improve their understanding of the importance of building in visualisation, routines and patterns to create a people-centric culture.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 51

EndeavourAwards Supporting the industry’s best Growing manufacturing in Australia takes determination, skill and competition, but it also takes collaborations. Sponsors of the 2019 Endeavour Awards explain why they are supporting manufacturers in Australia.

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HILE celebrating success within one’s own business is important, companies are putting high value on acknowledging the achievements of others in the industry. Seven companies and organisations are sponsoring the 2019 Endeavour Awards with the purpose of supporting their peers who are helping shape today’s manufacturing landscape in Australia. Weld Australia, Bestech, Beckhoff Automation, Vega Australia, SEW Eurodrive, Innovation and Business Skills Australia (IBSA) and B&R Automation are celebrating the best in manufacturing by sponsoring the awards.

Bestech managing director Sam Bhasin said as one of the most prestigious events in the manufacturing industry,

Vega is sponsoring the Australian Industrial Product of the Year award.

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the Endeavour Awards provide recognition to the innovation and hard work of people in the industry who are prospering in a challenging environment.

“This event gives us the opportunity to support the growth of the industry and strengthen our relationship with the manufacturing industry in Australia,” said Bhasin.

“We are sponsoring the Manufacturer of the Year award which takes into account all facets of a manufacturing business and awards it to the best. It recognises that a business needs to be innovative and follow the best practices in manufacturing to be a success. This resonates with Bestech as we believe that sensors in manufacturing process have a major role in achieving this best practice,” he said.

This event gives us the opportunity to support the growth of the industry and strengthen our relationship with the manufacturing industry in Australia.

Bhasin explained that in a highly regulated and a relatively high cost country, running a successful manufacturing business is difficult.

“We should applaud those who can make it big against all odds. It is good for companies to nominate themselves and others so that all the individuals in the organisation have the opportunity to see and recognise how their work has made a difference.”

Companies from SMEs to large enterprises have won awards in the past, as nominations are open to all manufacturing businesses.

“Even small-scale manufacturers will have the opportunity to win.

Furthermore, this event is also a great networking opportunity for all those involved in the manufacturing industry to establish new professional relationships,” said Bhasin.

Beckhoff Automation managing director Nick Psahoulias agreed that the awards allow equal opportunity to companies, big or small, to showcase their achievements.

“All too often we complete a project, only to be consumed by another. Sometimes we need to sit back and acknowledge our achievements, and promote them to the wider engineering community.

As we learn, we grow,” said Psahoulias.

Beckhoff focuses on creating high-quality automation technology, and as such, the company is sponsoring the Technology

Application award to highlight this synergy.

Vega Australia managing director John Leadbetter said he liked that the awards cover a number of different fields and showcase various technologies and advancements. Vega is sponsoring the Australian Industrial Product of the Year award.

“Vega sponsors this category for support and exposure. It also shows my team that there is a lot that goes on in the background as a support to them in their dealings of customers within this industry,” said Leadbetter. “Support is vital for all industries and suppliers as it shows the partnerships that exist and how each support each other not only in supply, but advancements in technology.”

Support and collaboration is important to the sponsors of these awards, who agreed that growing the industry means celebrating other companies’ achievements as well as their own.

B&R Automation product manager Naomi Khoo said the awards are the perfect opportunity for B&R Automation to recognise the highly talented and motivated leaders producing world class solutions and outcomes.

“It is easy to be so focussed on what you do that you forget there is a whole industry out there all trying very hard to improve. This event gives us an opportunity to stop and take note of what others manmonthly.com.au

EndeavourAwards

IBSA helps manufacturers achieve excellence. From left, Astor Industries’ Neil Henderson, with IBSA’s Mark Shaddock. are doing and the direction that the industry is taking. It is also a good way to show off some of the accomplishments of your own business,” said Khoo.

B&R Automation is sponsoring the Best Industrial IOT Application award. “By sponsoring this category we have an opportunity to publicly recognise the hard work, dedication and sheer imagination of all involved. The awards help us stay connected, providing us with an insight into what others in the industry are doing and network with other industry professionals,” she said.

Weld Australia marketing and communications manager Donna South said manufacturing plays a vital role in growing Australia’s economy. “The manufacturing industry employs a wide range of highly skilled people. By recognising the success of leaders in the industry and providing an opportunity to showcase their achievements, the Endeavour Awards is a beacon of positivity and future-thinking critical to inspire and promote the next generation of manufacturers in Australia,” said South. Weld Australia is sponsoring the Outstanding Start-Up award.

An IBSA Manufacturing spokesperson said that IBSA is sponsoring the Excellence in Manufacturing Skills Development manmonthly.com.au

award to help raise the profile of training and skills development in Australia’s manufacturing industry.

“We often read commentary around the supposed decline of manufacturing in this country, however, we know that the organisations that are thriving are often the ones at the forefront of innovation and the ones who develop the skills of their workforce.

“The awards are a great way for businesses to receive recognition

from peers in their industry for the good work they are undertaking,” the spokesperson said.

The category sponsored by IBSA highlights the importance of skills and workforce development in contemporary organisations, which is important to IBSA. “The finalists and winners will be recognised as champions in their industry, who value their employees and recognise the important role skills development has in helping them to maximise future opportunities,” the spokesperson said.

SEW Eurodrive, the sponsor of the Most Innovative Manufacturing Company award, is a global designer and developer of mechanical power transmission systems and motor control electronics, headquartered in Bruchsal, Germany. Its broad spectrum of integrated solutions includes geared motors and gear units, high torque industrial gear units, high-efficiency motors, electronic frequency inverters and servo drive systems, decentralised drive systems, plus engineered solutions and after-sales technical support and training.

A comprehensive nationwide stockholding, service and technical support network provides the

ideal modern drive platform for Australian companies. SEW Eurodrive Victorian sales and product manager Darren Klonowski said sponsoring the Endeavour Awards provides SEW Eurodrive with an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to recognising and supporting excellence and innovation throughout the manufacturing industry.

“SEW Eurodrive recognises the importance of innovation, as our successes have been underpinned by innovative manufacturing, assembly and product solution set.

“The awards are an excellent occasion for participants involved in Australian manufacturing sector not only to get a deeper insight into the industry but also celebrate its successes with a broad manufacturing audience. It drives the local manufacturing companies to succeed and be recognised for their dedication,” said Klonowski.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this year’s Endeavour Awards. For companies wanting to support the awards, business development manager Danilo Cortucci can be contacted at danilo.cortucci@primecreative. com.au or 03 9690 08766.

Beckhoff Automation is sponsoring the Endeavour Awards 2019.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 53

IoT in Manufacturing Reaping the benefits of robotics Humans and robot collaboration epitomises the workplace of the future.

Manufacturers’ Monthly explains.

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NFORMATION computer technology (ICT) and robotics are set to grow Australia’s workforce by hundreds-of-thousands. The ICT workforce alone, grew by 3.5 per cent, from 2016 to 2017, to 663,100 workers. According to a Deloitte Access Economics and the Australian Computer Society report, Australia’s Digital Pulse 2018, the demand for ICT workers is set to grow by almost 100,000 to 758,700 workers by 2023. By that time, almost 3 million Australian workers will be employed in occupations that use ICT regularly as part of their jobs.

While some employees fear robots will take away their jobs, there is plenty of evidence against this notion. A 2018 Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) report, The Impact of Technological and Other Change on the Future of Work and Workers in Australia, found that most jobs will change as a result of technology, not disappear. Machines are expected to automate an additional two hours of routine and manual work in an average Australian work week by 2030. As has been the case between 2000 and 2015, most workers between 2015 and 2030 will be spending more time on different tasks within their existing jobs rather than changing jobs.

With more businesses adopting the latest technology, including robotics and automation, software solutions and cobots, the desire to push the boundaries of what technology can offer is in overdrive.

Just as printers revolutionised the office decades ago, and the invention of search engines, such as Google in the late 1990s, gave people information at the tip of their fingers, cobots are giving manufacturing facilities the best of human and robot interaction to optimise and 54 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

The robot can be integrated into an existing application, or combined with an ROS. maximise production facilities.

Companies such as Pilz are introducing the latest in robotics, such as the new 6-axis Manipulator PRBT. The robotic arm is flexible and compact, weighing 19kg. It allows the user to mount it in any direction and has a load capacity of 6kg. The Manipulator features an operating range of up to 741mm and high repetition accuracy (0.2mm).

Pilz head of control technology and mechatronic systems in advanced development, Daniel Bakovic, said until recently, service and industrial robotics were incompatible as far as standardisation was concerned.

“These boundaries are increasingly disappearing and both sectors are showing rising growth. The use of cobots is increasing, and the trend towards safe human-robot collaboration is continuing.

“Compatible interfaces and an open concept are very important, giving users the flexibility to adapt their robotics application,” said Bakovic.

The Pilz robot is a service robot designed to meet the requirements of the application, which in most cases is improved efficiency and accurate repeatability. The robot is designed to not only be mounted in a stationary environment for simple pick and place applications due to its low operating voltage 24V DC, it can also be mounted on mobile equipment such as an automated guided vehicle.

The robot can be integrated into an existing application, or combined with a Robot Operating System (ROS). The ROS is modular in design, so components from any manufacturer, such as manipulators, grippers or sensors, can be swapped quickly depending in the company’s needs.

The ROS can also be used across a range of manufacturers, offering a networked, interoperable system in the spirit of Industry 4.0. It also offers flexibility through compatible programming languages such as C++, and Python, as well as interfaces to

Java and Javascript.

Bakovic said the issue of mobility is becoming increasingly important and many mobile platforms are using the ROS. “We have kept the operating concept simple, the aim being that anyone, including users without any knowledge of robots, are able to implement simple pickand-place applications quickly, in a straightforward manner.

Unlike other robot manufacturers, who have their ROS packages developed by research institutions, the Pilz packages come directly from the manufacturer. ROS assumes control – and not just in terms of issuing commands to the manufacturer-specific robot control system,” he said.

Taking advantage of robotics A 2018 Deloitte report, The Robots Are Waiting: Are You Ready to Reap the Benefits? stated that the biggest barriers to scaling robotics are indicated as being process fragmentation (32 per cent), a lack of manmonthly.com.au

IoT In Manufacturing a clear robotics vision (17 per cent), a lack of IT readiness (17 per cent) and a lack of skills to implement robotics (7 per cent).

The report indicated that many IT teams are only just beginning to fully appreciate how different the deployment of automation technologies is to traditional IT systems, how profound the changes they will introduce are, and the potential impact on the role of IT teams. Deloitte has experienced medium complexity robot implementation schedules ranging from 4 weeks up to 24 weeks. As IT teams learn and adapt to the changes required to implement automation technologies successfully, the pace of robot deployment accelerates rapidly.

To help companies adapt robotic applications quickly and easily, Pilz offers training courses for companies wanting to maximise their employees’ abilities to work with new technology. These training courses offer management of risk in machinery procurement, robot safety and human robot collaboration (HRC) training.

In order to offer training on

The Pilz robot can be integrated into an existing application. the latest technology, such as the company’s ROS, Pilz Australia’s technical support manager, Adam Hallinan, received training at the company’s headquarters in Germany in February.

Pilz Australia’s national sales and marketing manager, Rob Stevenson, said that when people are properly trained to use Pilz products they can maximise the product benefits through learning all the capabilities and efficiencies.

“It is also just as critical that people have a sound understanding of not just the products and their technical capabilities, but the standards and installation requirements that apply to safety-rated equipment.

This is to ensure that the most appropriate products are selected for the application and installed in a matter that will meet the requirements of the appropriate standards and therefore maintain the correct level of safety for the

Daniel Bakovic, head of control technology and mechatronic systems in advanced development from Pilz, said until recently, service and industrial robotics were incompatible.

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given machine or equipment.

“Undergoing machine safety training is the first step towards building competency in the area of safe automation and can lead to even more specialised training opportunities in the future,” said Stevenson.

Improving workplaces The 2018 Deloitte Robotics Are Waiting report stated that more than 80 per cent of organisations implementing robotics indicated a happier workforce.

The top priorities for organisations adopting robotics are increased productivity at 38 per cent, improved customer experience at 18 per cent and scale automation at 16 per cent.

The report stated that by having a better sense for the broader benefits of an automation, organisations can better prioritise automation investments and better plan how humans should interact with each of their digital colleagues.

Pilz, which specialises in automation solutions with a focus on safety, has been fitting safety sensor and control technology solutions to robotics applications for decades. Throughout this time, the company has acquired expertise in robotics, particularly in the area of human-robot collaboration. It’s this knowledge that Pilz is able to pass on to its customers, which includes a growing pool of companies wanting to keep up with technological trends.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 55

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE Transforming Australian manufacturing step-by-step Australian manufacturing’s ongoing industrial evolution is the focus for National Manufacturing Week 2019.

Thousands of visitors attend National Manufacturing Week.

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USTRALIAN Manufacturing Week (NMW), held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from May 14-17, will highlight the continuous growth and change the industry is experiencing.

NMW will feature a theme of ‘Industrial Evolution’ throughout the four days of the conference program and exhibition with a specific focus on driving further innovation in local manufacturing, continuing the evolution of the industry advanced technology solutions, sharing insights to stay ahead of the game, while celebrating Australian manufacturing’s resurgence.

NMW exhibition director Robby Clark said this year’s event promises to support the continuing high-tech and highly integrated evolution of the industry.

“There’s been a resurgence of late in Australian manufacturing, which is being generated by the industry’s collective realisation, active progression and evolution to being technologically advanced, highly integrated, automation and high-level engineering.

“Equally, we’ve also seen Industry 4.0 or the Internet of Things 56 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

become a reality from technological forecast, which for manufacturing has manifested in operations – for example in smart factories where sensors are providing actionable intelligence or underpinning greater automation.

“Knowledge gathering and solution sourcing are critical steps for manufacturing professionals looking to navigate this industrial evolution that is currently underway. The exhibitors for this year’s event will provide manufacturers with the latest range of products and solutions designed to improve operations and operational performance, increase efficiency and resolve challenges, while the content within the conference program will offer specific advice and visibility into how industry leaders are managing change,” said Clark.

At National Manufacturing Week 2019, the exhibition floor will feature more than 200 leading industrial suppliers of game-changing solutions, new technology, advanced manufacturing products and operational services.

Visitors will be able to take advantage of six designated product zones to navigate through the

exhibition floor, which segment the extensive range of products and solutions into key operational categories. The six product zones for 2019’s event are automation and robotics, engineering, Industrial Internet of Things, safety, welding technology, and manufacturing solutions.

Key exhibitors across these six product zones include: • Automation and Robotics – Pilz, Universal Robots, Wago; Engineering – Faro, Prytec, BE;

• Manufacturing Solutions – Flow Power, Combilift, Intelli Particle; • Industrial Internet of Things – Epicor, ECi Solutions, Cadgroup; Safety – Vanguard Wireless, Atom, Axelent; • Welding Technology – BOC, Lincoln Electric and Supagas.

There will also be an extensive conference programme that will feature a line-up of more than 70 industry speakers and panellists, who will share their exclusive insights about current industry challenges and recommendations for operational success. With the program’s sessions segmented across two streams, each with their own dedicated theatre, of “Industry 4.0” and “Connected Manufacturing”.

“This year’s conference program will be our most extensive and indepth to date, with delegates offered unprecedented access to industry leaders with the expertise, knowledge and understanding to develop the strategies and practices for generating further growth,” said Clark.

Must-see theatre programs The Industry 4.0 Theatre program will offer attendees the latest opinions, developments and research about the impact of Industry 4.0 on businesses

Speakers will discuss the industrial evolution of manufacturing.

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and operations. A key highlight of this program will be the opening keynote, which will be delivered by Australia’s chief scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, followed by an innovation and collaboration stories series run by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC).

Across days 2-4 of this stream’s conference sessions, other noteworthy speakers include Swinburne University director of Factory of the Future Dr Nico Adams, CSIRO Data61 principal research consultant Dr Elliot Duff, Innovative Manufacturing CRC CEO David Chuter, Siemens head of digital enterprise Christopher Vains, and AMCG managing director Dr Jens Goennemann.

The Connected Manufacturing Theatre program offers expert advice about business management, design and industrial challenges.

Conference sessions within this stream will focus on industry topics, including environment and energy policies, process improvement and optimisation, safety innovation, safety policies, safety management and culture, mental health and wellbeing, marketing and sales, additive manufacturing and design, and government grants and tariffs.

Industry leaders who will feature in some of these sessions, include Efic Business Development Director Philip Smith, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation CEO Brooke Donnelly, and Fonterra Cooperative Group HR Systems Owner Toni Kennington.

Clark said this year is NMW’s most extensive program ever, in both speaker volume and industry experience. “We are really looking forward to seeing the best gamechanging, innovative and hightech solutions that our industryleading exhibitors are planning to demonstrate and display.”

Industry support is key Strategic partners and industry associations supporting NMW in 2019 include Weld Australia, AMGC, Innovative Manufacturing CRC and Engineers Australia. These respective partnerships strengthen NMW’s depth and relevance of insight sharing and cement the event’s status as manmonthly.com.au

a key hub for the manufacturing community to come together.

As a strategic partner of this year’s event, Weld Australia will have an interactive presence on the exhibition floor offering visitors deeper insight into the latest welding skills training available. Weld Australia marketing and communications manager Donna South said Weld Australia will have an advanced welder training hub on the exhibition floor. “[This]

will showcase the augmented and virtual reality technology that is revolutionising welder training here in Australia, and around the world.

“Attendees will have the chance to see and try a range of different welding simulators, which are making welder training and upskilling safer, more costefficient and engaging for new and experienced welders,” said South.

The exhibitors for this year’s event will provide manufacturers with the latest range of products and solutions designed to improve operations and operational performance, increase efficiency and resolve challenges, while the content within the conference program will offer specific advice and visibility into how industry leaders are managing change.

The expo showcases the latest technology in manufacturing.

Universal Robots is exhibiting at National Manufacturing Week.

Improving business by understanding challenges With NMW featuring a variety of Industry 4.0 applications that are helping lead the way for a strong future for the manufacturing industry, Clark said implementing smart solutions is a must.

“Manufacturing is no different from any other industry, in terms of needing to understand the change and challenges ahead, develop strategies and acquire the knowledge or capabilities to manage these changes or evolutions, while ensuring their customer service and productivity are not detrimentally impacted during this management of change.

“IoT is understandably forcing rapid change across the industry from operational practices and execution, to higher integration, reconsideration of approaches to production or task completion and the requirement to plan for future change, which are typified by the increasing level of ‘smart factories’ or factories with smart solutions.

“Therefore, we know businesses within the industry are actively considering and working to improve their operational practices and refine their approach or strategy for continued success. Because improving a business isn’t a process where ticking a box or achieving that next milestone is the measurement of success.”

To stay ahead of the game, Clark said manufacturers should acquire the latest insights, and collaborate and engage with industry peers.

“Whether your objective is to improve efficiency, productivity or increase quality, it’s crucial to take advantage of opportunities like NMW that support your business in its pursuit of future growth, by providing a forum to engage with industry leading solutions and operational experts.” said Clark.

Registration is now open for the 20th edition of National Manufacturing Week (1417 May 2019), with free registration available at: www. nationalmanufacturingweek.com.au.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 57

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Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 59

Industrial evolution

10,000+ Industry Connections*

200+

Leading Solution Providers

70+

6

Expert Speakers

Product Zones

*Based on 10,327 unique visitors at NMW 2017. CAB Audited by Audited Media Association of Australia.

Free-to-attend expo & conference

Register now at www.nationalmanufacturingweek.com.au

Co-located with

Organised by

Renewables Industry and academia collaborate for improved sustainable energy As Australia turns to solar power, business is teaming up with academic research leaders to expedite technology advancement and optimise sustainable energy for all users.

Manufacturers’ Monthly explains.

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HE Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) reports that Australia has the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent in the world. Given the country’s capacity to take on large-scale solar electricity, it is no surprise the industry is rapidly expanding nationally.

According to ARENA, solar energy technology in Australia falls into two main types – solar photovoltaic and solar thermal.

Used on rooftops across Australian homes, solar photovoltaic technology converts sunlight directly into electricity using photovoltaic cells, which are combined in panels.

They are integrated into building designs, vehicles and panels used across fields as part of large-scale solar power plants.

Used in some industrial processes in place of gas, solar thermal technology converts sunlight into thermal energy or heat, which can be used to drive a refrigeration cycle to provide solar-based cooling, or to make steam that can be used to generate electricity using a steam turbine.

Australia’s uptake of solar has soared over the past decade.

According to an Australian Energy Update 2018 report, solar photovoltaic has risen from less than 0.5 petajoules in 2006-07 to 29 petajoules in 2016–17, including growth of 18 per cent in 2017.

Overall, ARENA has reported a six per cent annual growth increase with renewables contributing 16 per cent of total generation in 2016-17. Solar represents a significant proportion of this growth with some increase also in hydro. Generation from solid waste and landfill biogas was three per cent of total renewable generation.

Companies such as Geli Australia, manmonthly.com.au

Geli Australia looks at innovative solutions to minimising energy consumption.

the local operation of San Francisco based Growing Energy Labs Inc, are harnessing the power of academic partnerships to meet soaring demand for solar. Working with some of the nation’s top researchers is helping open doors for Geli to innovate solutions to minimise energy consumption, lower costs and optimise management of solar power battery storage.

The company recognises this as essential to the delivery of next generation software solutions, automation and energy storage in the era of manufacturing 4.0. With a need to reduce customer energy costs, Geli Australia turned to Australian Postgraduate Research Intern (APR.Intern) to open the door to essential expertise to drive optimisation research. Monash University information technology

PhD student, Shan He, was placed into a five-month research project with the company, which resulted in the delivery of a proof of concept for enhancements to Geli’s demand charge management optimisation.

For He, the industry experience was an opportunity to apply her expertise in mathematical optimisation and computer science skills to a real-world problem.

“Throughout my project I learnt that technical skills are important, but the soft skills to deliver outcomes successfully are just as crucial. I believe the experience will support my career in both industry and academic sectors,” said He. Senior staff data scientist at Geli, Zach Ernst, said He’s expertise in optimisation was of great interest to Geli. “Her research and analysis provided us with a strong jumping-off

point to introduce new and innovative approaches to optimisation into our systems,” said Ernst.

With only two per cent of Australian businesses reporting engagement in innovation, Ernst said the relationship between research and industry is key to futureproofing business with innovation opportunities. “Government support for early-stage research and development is critical to the diversity of technical progress we can achieve as a global society.”

APR.Intern is an all-discipline PhD placement program, facilitating collaborations between universities and businesses. Working at the nexus between industry and academia, APR. Intern is a not-for-profit program open to all universities and industry sectors, including SMEs, large enterprises and government agencies.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 61

2019

NOMINATIONS

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Chains & Hoists Chain manufacturer links with customers through quality Manufacturing products to a consistently high standard helps one chain and hoist company stay ahead of the competition.

I

N a market where competing with hundreds is more of a reality than competing with one, manufacturers need a point of difference. For KITO PWB, this point of difference is clear – quality is the key to its success in the Australian market. KITO PWB distributor, Crane Control, chooses the chain and hoist manufacturer over other companies because it creates products that last. Crane Control service manager, Cameron Clark, said KITO PWB has one of the best quality products in the market.

“It’s reliable, which is a main

factor, compared to other brands in the market. We don’t want anything else,” said Clark. Crane Control, which operates mainly in Victoria, is a distributor of KITO PWB chains and hoists, which vary from manual to electric applications.

Crane Control has a company policy that ensures qualified trades people have a minimum five years’ experience in their field. Having these values means Crane Control also looks for that in the companies it works with, including KITO PWB. “We’ve always found them very helpful. There’s always staff

with a good understanding to talk to,” said Clark.

To ensure all customers’ needs are met, KITO PWB offers tailor made hoists and chains. The company’s team of skilled engineers, assemblers and electricians spend most of their working days crafting unique power hoists for lifting solutions to meet clients’ individual specifications.

The company explained that more than 65 per cent of power hoists sold require input from its engineering teams and technical specialists. Of KITO PWB’s power hoists, 90 per cent are unique by model variation, with the company’s teams completing an average of six unique lifting solutions every day.

KITO PWB offers a full range of high performance hoists and associated lifting equipment products including: • ER2 electric 3-phase hoists and trolleys – available in models up to 20T, • EQ electric single-phase hoist and trolleys, • EFSHL electric single phase hoists,

• ED compact electric single phase hoists, • M3 manual chain blocks, L5 lever blocks and trolleys, • Endo pneumatic hoists and trolleys.

Similarly, if businesses are looking for custom tailored chains, KITO PWB is able to supply these.

Whether a customer needs a 3mm chain, right through to a 32mm, all specifications can be met.

KITO PWB chain products include: • Herc alloy grade 80 lifting chains, • Sling chains that comply with Australian Standards and are used for industrial lifting, • Grade 100 lifting chains, • Calibrated chains that are fitted to devices such as hoists and chain blocks. It also includes calibrated hand chains used to operate manual lifting applications such as chain blocks, geared trolleys and roller doors, • Proof coil chains or generalpurpose chains, which are made in a variety of link sizes and in two link formations – regular and long, • Grade L marine, anchoring and fathom chains.

KITO PWB helps companies achieve all of their lifting needs.

KITO PWB manufactures tailor made chains and hoists.

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 63

What’sNew A network appliance for security applications Backplane Systems Technology is now a distributor for iBASE’s New FWA8600 Enterprise 1U network appliance with Intel’s Xeon Processor D-2100 series comes with up to 29 GbE ports.

The FWA8600 1U Rackmount network security appliance is based on the Intel Xeon Processor D-2100 series and features up to 29x GbE ports.

This highly scalable system is designed for managing data-driven workloads and enabling robust levels of performance in enterprise network security, unified threat management, and WAN optimisation applications.

This sleek new network appliance supports up to 128GB RDIMM, with 4x DDR4-2666 DIMM sockets and an Intel I210-AT ethernet controller.

It comes with network interface card (NIC) slots to accommodate up to three IBN cards with 8x GbE ports each, and one IBN-P401Q card for a maximum of 29x GbE ports.

It offers flexible I/O connectivity and expansion features with a PCIe x8 slot, an M.2 expansion slot to interface with SATA 3.0 and PCIe x4 bus for high data throughput, as well as 2x USB 3.0, and an RJ45 serial console with LCM display for easy operation. LAN bypass is also available in certain configurations.

Finally, the FWA8600 features Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) 2.0 with the iBASE IDN100 module, allowing users to remotely manage and monitor systems even without an operating system.

An ideal platform for cloud computing and data centres, it also supports Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) to provide hardware-based security, easily encrypting data and protecting authentication credentials from hackers.

Company: Backplane Systems Technology Phone: (02) 9457 6400 Web: www.backplane.com.au

Boge Compressors releases new series-4 compressor models Boge Compressors has released the new series-4 compressor models manufactured in Germany to include 55kW, 75kW and 90kW power drive sizes as well as an additional 110kW model.

This compliments the models previously released, which included 110kW, 132kW and 160kW. Model variants include direct drive and VSD options. With new high efficiency air ends made by Boge, and lower sound pressure levels, Boge now offers a complete range of series-4 machines in drive power sizes from 55-160kW.

Company: Boge Compressors Phone: (03) 5940 3266 Web: www.boge.net.au

Design features include: • High efficiency air end with direct drive or optional integrated gear • Silent radial fan with low rotational speed providing a low sound pressure level • Accessibility to all maintenance parts • Oil separation receiver with central integrated separation element providing low residual oil content and service interval up to 9000 operating hours with synthetic oil.

Special highlights: • Some units offer specific power of less than 6.0 kW/m³/min at 7,5 bar.

• Boge has also expanded its range of oil free scroll compressors, desiccant and refrigerated air dryers, oxygen generators and nitrogen generators featuring PSA and membrane systems.

• Boge dealers in Australia all have technicians trained by Boge who can support all Boge products in most areas in Australia.

64 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

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Pedestrian barriers that meet all site needs The Australian Trellis Door Company (ATDC) has installed its pedestrian barriers at Olympic Park Railway Station at the Sydney suburb of Homebush. Project managers for the installation were Leichardt based Ultra Building Works. Installed at the top of an access stairwell on the main railway platform, these barriers perform a vital access control function to prevent after hour access as well as being used for regulating human traffic flow during peak periods.

ATDC’s barriers are tailor made for such locations having been occupational health and safety tested for safe operation. This helps in locations where there are high volumes of pedestrian foot traffic. The barriers can also be fitted with keyless locking for quick egress where required in cases of emergency.

Other special features of these pedestrian barriers include the option, where specified, for preventing persons from climbing over the barriers by introducing a double diamond mesh infill that prevents a person gaining a foothold on the gate to attempt to climb the barrier. It is also difficult for people to put their hands through the barrier making it a good safety and protective device to protect employees from reaching dangerous machinery. These safety features have made ATDC’s pedestrian barriers the gates of choice for numerous high-profile government projects and public infrastructure projects across Australia.

One such high-profile project was at Sydney’s Barrangaroo Ferry Terminal.

The safety barriers were installed at a height of 2400mm. The maximum height available is 2520mm and other height options are available on request. Each of the safety barrier spans at Barrangaroo measured about 8500mm wide, although the maximum available width is unlimited.

The barriers are trackless, fully mobile and portable. They are also useful in securing temporary tenancies, pop-up stores, warehouse loading areas,

work-safe areas, construction sites, access control for public utilities and government facilities, crowd control for public venues and many more applications.

Company: Australian Trellis Door Company Phone: 1800 657 435 Web: www.trellisdoors.com.au

Testo launches the new 300 flue gas analyser Testo, a German measurement technology company with more than 60 years’ experience has released its latest flue gas analyser the testo 300.

Combining intuitive high definition SmartTouch operation with robust design and professional documentation and reporting, this gas analyser is tailored for the needs of a high-demand environment.

One of the features of the testo 300 is the large five-inch HD SmartTouch display. It allows intuitive one-touch operation, just like a smartphone.

This ease-of-use extends to simplified measurement ability and also instant operation when activated from standby mode. Measurement values are displayed either as a graph or table, offering users more options for data analysis.

The testo 300’s bolted housing, robust sensors, protected display and secure mounting allows it to withstand any tough working day. Its scratch-proof display is countersunk and equipped with an exchangeable protective film to ensure the screen remains undamaged while strong magnets further secure attachment. The sensor technology is designed for long-life with up to six years’ service life with intensive daily use and automatic dilution of up to 30,000 ppm CO. It has well-structured and intuitive options for all applications. This facilitates easier measurement and recording of flue gas, draught, CO, smoke count, differential pressure, differential temperature and tightness testing.

Reports containing information on measurement values, customer applications and heating systems can be created directly on the flue gas analyser. It is also possible for the user to include their own comments and

manmonthly.com.au

data sets. All technical work is checked off via electronic signature on the testo 300, and reports can then be emailed to the client or stored on the instrument.

In addition to O2 and CO sensors, people can use a third sensor slot for the measurement of NO2.

The testo 300 is a highly configurable and customisable analyser offering a tailored solution for all needs, and people can choose between two- or four-years’ warranty on all sensors.

Company: Testo Phone: 1300 837 861 Web: www.testo.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2019 65

The Last Word Priorities for Australian manufacturing in 2019 As local industry looks to build on recent momentum, how do manufacturers plan to meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities awaiting them in 2019? Mark Goodsell, head of the Australian Industry Group in NSW, explains.

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ANUFACTURING entered 2019 with a lot of momentum built up over the past 2-3 years. With 85,000 jobs created by the industry in 2018, it was among the highest of any sector according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

It has been a period of growth with change, as a new model of manufacturing success emerges from the twin currents of technological innovation and the globalisation of supply chains. Every business has its own priorities, but across manufacturing industry some common themes dominate.

Skills Many manufacturers report their growth plans are constrained by skill shortages. It is a complex problem that can be sourced to a range of demographic and economic changes over the past few decades including older school leaving ages, reduced commitments and funding of trade training, imbalance between the perceptions of university and vocational education and training as career enablers, and unduly pessimistic perceptions of industry.

To gain work-ready entrants for the workforce, companies are starting to look to new modes of engagement with local schools and with vocational and university level education. They are reframing their recruitment practices, the way they describe the careers they offer, and are exploring rapid cycles of learning and work based on specific skill sets and microcredentials, higher apprenticeships and other forms of work-integrated learning.

Internship programs as well as other innovative models of studentindustry activity are growing and are a great way to get new thinking into a workplace as well as potential future employees.

66 APRIL 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Energy efficiency The battle for policy outcomes to underwrite reduced energy prices and greater reliability will continue just as companies will continue to learn to be cannier energy purchasers. However, significant gains can and need to be made in energy demand for us to regain competitiveness. One consequence of Australia’s historically low energy prices is that households and industry are estimated to be up to 30 per cent less energy efficient than the better economies. Both levels of government are increasingly focused on supporting industry efforts to improve energy efficiency.

Rapid technology advances and new government programs means that it pays to constantly trawl for solutions and support and re-assess payback calculations. Resources are already available for common manufacturing energy guzzlers like compressed air and refrigeration. A great starting point is knowing where and when your energy is being used.

Waste China’s decision to severely restrict the unsorted waste it accepts from countries like Australia is already impacting household and industry waste streams.

There are more government programs emerging to provide advice and financial support for recycling and the circular economy. These focus all along the waste cycle, from redesigning products for reuse to developing products or technologies that increase the use of recycled materials, and processes to better sort waste streams.

Standards in the built environment The Infinity cables recall, building cladding fires and the Opal Tower

failure are the tip of a much larger problem identified in the nation’s construction industry. The senate’s comprehensive assessment of the problem confirms the view that non-conforming building products (NCBP) remain a significant issue for the community. The problem lies with weaknesses in the application of building standards and poor enforcement.

Australian manufacturers have felt disadvantaged by frameworks that appear (when applied) to more strongly impact local manufacturing than offshore supply. A lack of robust surveillance, check testing and enforcement, plus a hollowing out of technical capacity in industry leading to an overreliance on paper trails in lieu of explicit knowledge, may have contributed to serious decline in the quality of our built environment.

Manufacturers should educate their customers on the risks of opting for low-priced building product that may be non-conforming. If NCBP are encountered, then report it. This is now a legal obligation in Queensland.

Employment and safety regulation At both state and federal level, a raft of new regulations and proposed laws are emerging – to increase regulation of casuals, labour hire, so called wage theft, gig economy workers, workplace safety penalties and exploitation in global supply chains. These ideas are coming from both current governments and confident oppositions.

In workplace safety the debate is centring on industrial manslaughter and the increasing penalties for the highest levels of negligence by those who lead and manage companies. Under current laws, courts have recently imposed prison terms on company directors for workplace fatalities.

Mark Goodsell National Director, Manufacturing, Ai Group.

Manufacturing requires more vigilance on safety than many other industries, and companies would be wise to reconfirm that their employment arrangements and safety systems are compliant and working as intended.

Innovation A wave of digitisation is rapidly changing what is manufactured, how and where it is made, and how manufacturers are making money.

It is dealing higher cost nations like Australia back into the global manufacturing game if we have the right mindset and policy settings.

It needs management, employees and a skilling system that can all absorb new trends rapidly; a mindset that understands and values data as much as physical goods; a mature view on cybersecurity; and a greater willingness to seek unique capability though collaboration with other companies and with research institutions. The number of manufacturers, including SMEs, seeking collaborative partnerships with universities and research organisations is increasing.

Manufacturing start-ups are emerging from innovation incubators.

Both are healthy signs for the industry’s future. manmonthly.com.au

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