PACE APR 2020

APRIL / MAY 2020 / | VOL.74 NO.2 | Est. 1953

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APRIL / MAY 2020 | VOL.74 NO.2 | Est. 1953

INSIDE PACE

Research & development A look at federal policy on R&D

Test & measurement

Wastewater

Vega discusses its new range of products

Stopping corrosion in its tracks

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GETTING UP TO SPEED WITH INDUSTRY 4.0

EXCLUSIVE: How automation is changing the post-harvest sector

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IN THIS ISSUE

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Editors Comment 6 IICA Comment 8

IICA NSW chairman Peter Veron gives an update on upcoming industry events

Copyright PACE is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. All material in PACE is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

The opinions expressed in PACE are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

News 10 Industry 4.0 22

How can SMEs adapt to the rapid technological changes associated with Industry 4.0 and become competitive in global and domestic markets?

Research & Development 26

A look at how policy and funding for research and development landscape in Australia can help boost industrial innovation

Š Copyright Prime Creative Media, 2019 Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

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Automation 32

How post-harvest operations can be enhanced by robotics and automation, and how the getting the right actuators can make all the difference Wastewater 35

How to keep corrosion at bay on wastewater treatment plant equipment New Products 36

Getting SMEs up to speed with Industry 4.0

APRIL / MAY 2020 | VOL.74 NO.2 | Est. 1953

INSIDE PACE

Research & development A look at federal policy on R&D

Test & measurement

Wastewater

Vega discusses its new range of products

Stopping corrosion in its tracks

GETTING UP TO SPEED WITH INDUSTRY 4.0 Post Print Approved PP100008186

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An interview with Vega Australia’s John Leadbetter on adapting products to technological trends in the manufacturing and automation sectors

ON THE COVER

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28 Dingley Ave Dandenong VIC 3175

Test & Measurement 30

Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) make up the majority of manufacturing companies in Australia. In this issue of PACE we look at the challenges facing SMEs in the uptake of Industry 4.0 technologies and how they can be overcome. If SMEs can harness the power of robotics and automation, artificial

intelligence and machine learning, additive manufacturing (otherwise known as 3D printing), nanotechnologies and advanced materials, along with Internet of Things (IoT) sensor technology and data analytics, enhanced productivity and efficiency can boost competitiveness on the global stage.

EXCLUSIVE: How automation is changing the post-harvest sector

APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 5

EDITOR’S COMMENT

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

Syed Shah Managing Editor

Adapting to an age of disruption and innovation

Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) make up the bulk of manufacturing companies in Australia. And SMEs have have much to gain from the adoption of advanced manufacturing techniques and technologies, including automation and robotics.

Industry 4.0 technology offers the potential for Australian companies to achieve greater rates of productivity, efficiency and flexibility.

But there are challenges to achieving this. Indeed, the general perception of economic activity in Australia is that it is mostly driven by primary commodity exports, and that manufacturing is a thing of the past.

While it is true that manufacturing is currently much smaller than it once was when at its peak in the 1960s, the sector remains a significant part of Australia’s economic activity,

6 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

supporting 1.27 million jobs. If Australia’s manufacturing SMEs can adopt advanced manufacturing techniques, technologies and processes, and move towards “smart specialisation” in key areas where they excel, there remains much potential for the sector going forward into the future.

In issue of PACE, our lead feature covers highlights from this year’s Industrial Internet 4.0 Summit, which took place at The University of Technology, Sydney. Discussions at last year’s event suggested that Industry 4.0 technologies are readily available to exploit the availability of data that already exists across manufacturing operations. This year, challenges that face SMEs in the adoption of Industry 4.0 technology were discussed. While

their are barriers, guidance, advice and collaboration can help SME manufacturers join the future with digitally-enabled, data-driven automated technologies that can reduce costs, improve profits, and make the sector more competitive.

Another area of concern within industrial circles is the state of research and development (R&D) in Australia.

The federal government has continued its attempt to remove funding from the R&D tax incentive programme. As of writing, the move has been stymied in the senate. We speak to industry experts to see what the ramifications of those cuts would be for industrial innovation in this country.

We also catch up with Vega Australia’s John Leadbetter to find out how his company’s test and measurement products are adapting

to the needs of manufacturers in a constantly changing technological environment. According to Leadbetter, what manufacturers are craving, in this new normal, is simplicity.

New Zealand’s post-harvest argicultural sector faces pressures to increase output with fewer workers to keep local fruit production competitive globally. The labour shortages in NZ make the postharvest space ripe for the adoption of automation technologies. In this issue, we speak to Rob Elstone of Hortworx about his innovative automation project, the Robotic Bin Filler (RBF).

In developing the automation system for the RBF, Hortworx worked with LINAK. Elstone shares why getting the right actuators for your needs is a must for robotic solutions. PACE

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COMMENT

IICA has a full schedule of events lined up for 2020.

Connecting industry in tumultuous times Peter Veron, the NSW chair of the Institute of Instrumentation, Control and Automation (IICA), gives an update on the industry association’s actitives and events.

F

or over 75 years, the Institute of Instrumentation, Control and Automation (IICA) has been influencing the integration of optimal industrial processes which have led to reduced costs and increased yields for businesses. Automation has gone through many changes and is about to undergo the largest evolution through Big Data and wireless technologies through IIoT. These advances will change the industry forever in ways nobody can predict and lead to benefits not yet conceived.

What a dynamic start to the year.

Nature has dealt an extreme series of events: drought, bush fires, heavy rain and storms, coronavirus (COVID19), and a knock on economic effect – lower interest rates from the RBA. These disastrous events have affected thousands of people, and while all Australians have been rallying to support those affected, full recovery will take many years. The recovery process has created many opportunities for Australia to learn from these disasters, rebuild and improve our practices, and grow our economy.

Many resources and materials that are 8 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

required to rebuild the damage are available locally and should be sourced and manufactured locally to help kickstart our economy.

With advances in manufacturing techniques and developments in automation controls surging ahead, the IICA had planned a full schedule of activities lined up for 2020 to build awareness and connect industry. Below is a summary of what we have planned for the next 12 months. However, with the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, several of these events have been postponed. Changes are dynamic and the uncertainty for the rest of the year could affect all events. In these circumstances, we have not set firm dates for our events due to the unpredictability of this situation.

Please refer to the IICA website for the latest details on the following events.

This year we have the following 14 Technology Expos in regional and city areas accessible to all professionals in the manufacturing industry with free entry.

• Bendigo (VIC) • Doyalson (Central Coast) (NSW) • Brisbane (QLD) • Swan Hill (VIC)

• Bathurst (NSW) • Gladstone (QLD) • Melbourne (CBD) • Canberra (ACT) • Perth(WA) • Albury (NSW) • Townsville (QLD) • Sydney (Western NSW) • Devonport (TAS) • Adelaide (SA) The IICA Tech Expos have been very successful providing a focused event aimed at matching instrument technologies with vendors that can provide technical advice on the latest instrumentation available. These informal events attract over 80 exhibitors providing a complete cross section of current instrumentation available for process control or environmental and conditional monitoring. This year we will be back in Canberra for the first time in over 10 years and many other regions where we visit biennially. This is a great opportunity for our industry and also for the regional towns we visit which benefit from an increase in patronage during our events. For specific details regarding these events, please refer to the IICA website:

www.iica.org.au/events/.

At the IICA we promote our members training courses and also conduct a few of our own. We appreciate that knowledge is the key to success and safety. The following are an example of the courses available this year.

• Brisbane: IICA TUV Functional Safety Engineer Training • IChemE: HAZOP Leadership and Management • IChemE: Bulk Solids Handling for Chemical Engineers • IChemE: Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) IICA NSW chairman, Peter Veron.

COMMENT

• Sydney: IICA TUV Functional Safety Engineer Training • IChemE: Process Safety Leadership and Culture • SICK: Machinery Safety Training • TUV Certified Functional Safety • Custom onsite training on Process, Control, Instrumentation & Systems.

• Alarm Management and Rationalisation Essentials • Reliability and Optimisation Improvements Essentials • Complex Control Scheme Development Essentials • Melbourne: IICA TUV Functional Safety Engineer Training • UEE40411 Certificate IV in Electrical - Instrumentation • UE31211 Certificate III in Instrumentation & Control • HV Switching Operation • Grid Connect PV Design + Install • Control & Safety Systems Upgrades Essentials • Control Network Cyber Security Essentials • Control Network Cyber Security

Master Class • UEE42611 Certificate IV in Hazardous areas • ElectricalI ChemE: Conference Chemeca 2020 • Project Management Vision Site visits to operational plants and factories are beneficial to both our members who operate the various facilities and others who are interested in how the plants are run and what instrumentation and process control techniques are used. These tours are becoming increasingly difficult as larger facilities close around the country and OHS regulations make it harder for large groups to access these “live sites”. Tours are very popular amongst our members; however, we often only get notification shortly before these tours become available and these are often limited to members only. Please check our website for any upcoming tours: • Qenos Polythene plants at Botany • Sydney Water tour of Orchard Hills Filtration Plant We also host regular Tech Nights

where experts provide insight into current topics for controls and automation allowing questions and networking opportunities. The topics range from safety practices, latest instrumentation technologies available, operational techniques, IIoT, BUS systems and other relevant topics. If it is relevant and need-to-know for members we will have a Tech Night to cover the topic. Once again these are popular and notification of their availability can be short. Please check our website regularly for new Tech Night topics and locations: • WIKA Calibration Technical Afternoon • IChemE: Fundamentals of Process Safety • Keysight Technologies, Site Visit & Presentation: Latest Test & Measurement Solutions & Services • Sydney Annual General Meeting 2020 & Technical Evening Networking is a major part of what the IICA offers through various activities including social events specifically for networking:

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BBQ meetings, breakfast committee meetings, Christmas in July dinner, annual Fellows dinner and trivia contests. Most of these are available to members, while there are often small fees for non-members to participate and experience what we have to offer.

Advances in technology and monitoring practices provide opportunities for additional activities to assist members to keep abreast of developments in industry.

This year we planned a special focus IO-Link Technical Day featuring over 20 of our CIP members who have access to this technology.

Developments in electronics and instrumentation which are IO-Link enabled allow many benefits over existing technologies, and experts from several companies will be available to demonstrate on the day.

If you feel there is more we can provide to our members or would like to join and participate in our activities with likeminded people please visit our website and leave your comments or sign up for our newsletter. PACE

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APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 9

NEWS

New report indicates lack of industry preparedness for 4.0

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report from Deloitte shows that many senior executives are less prepared for the impacts of Industry 4.0 than they need to be, despite successful implementation of new technologies.

Business leaders continue to focus more on using advanced technologies to protect their positions than on making bold investments to drive disruption, according to the new report – based on a survey polling

more than 2,000 C-suite executives across 19 countries.

Being too focused on the shortterm results also means executives are struggling to develop strategies to adapt to rapidly changing markets.

Encompassing a wide range of processes and technologies, Industry 4.0 could be the way that the Australian manufacturing industry transforms to remain globally competitive for the rest of the 21st century.

The Deloitte report, however, says that few companies are even discussing how to manage the challenges inherent in new technology, let alone actively putting policies in place to do so.

Many leaders reported that their companies don’t follow clearly defined decision-making processes – and that organisational silos limit their ability to develop and share knowledge to implement effective strategies.

“Faced with an ever–increasing

array of new technologies, leaders said they feel as though they have too many options from which to choose and, in some cases, they lack the strategic vision to help guide their efforts,” according to the report.

The report is ultimately positive, however, as leaders seem to be gaining a much deeper understanding of Industry 4.0, are increasingly aware of the challenges before them, and are viewing the actions needed to succeed more realistically. PACE

Taskforce report says action required to make STEM more inclusive

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new report exploring engagement in engineering and STEM claims that barriers remain to equitable participation in these sectors and that more action needs to be taken to bridge the gender divide.

The report from the newlyestablished Engineering for Australia Taskforce explores the factors which affect girls’ participation in STEM and engineering and examines 115 international peer-reviewed research articles to identify key considerations when creating programs to attract girls to engineering.

Founded by the deans of engineering at UNSW Sydney, Monash University and Australian National University (ANU), the taskforce aims to address the gender disparity among applicants for university engineering programs Dean of engineering at UNSW

10 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

Mark Hoffman said that the engineering profession needed to be more reflective of Australian society.

“Engineering needs the profession’s makeup to reflect the society it serves, and that means we need more women gaining confidence at school to join

engineering programs at university,” Hoffman said.

Among the actions the report proposes to improve female engagement with engineering is the creation of a more diverse and inclusive STEM and engineering identity in schools

Founded by the deans of top Australian universities, the taskforce aims to address the gender disparity among applicants in STEM.

by making engineering activities prominent, positive and personally and socially relevant.

“Engineering skills underpin the functioning of our societies and economies, and are critical to building a sustainable future. However, fewer than 10 per cent of engineers in Australia are women,” said Professor Elanor Huntington, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at ANU. “Not only does that mean that women are missing out on designing the future, but it also means that engineering challenges are being tackled from a narrow set of perspectives. By diversifying our engineering workforce, we will strengthen Australia’s economy and strengthen our ability to face the global challenges presented by a changing climate, food and water scarcity and globalisation.” PACE

NEWS

Job market report reveals top skill gaps in manufacturing sector

According to the Hays Jobs Report, technical jobs were among the list of the stop skills shortfalls.

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report into the job market for the manufacturing sector has revealed the top skills shortfalls for the first half of 2020.

Field service technicians, production managers, project engineers, and mechanical and electrical technicians were among the list of the top skills shortfalls, according to the Hays Jobs Report for January to June 2020 – which is updated twice a year to reflect changing market conditions.

“Manufacturing and operations remains a healthy and growing industry, which is leading to continued competition for skilled professionals and strong opportunities for both experienced and graduate candidates,” the report says.

Employees are wanted across diverse sectors of manufacturing, including automotive, food, defence, rail, shipbuilding, and industrial manufacturing.

Demand is high in Perth and

Brisbane for engineering drafters, production managers, engineering managers and general managers for companies that are reshaping the manufacturing landscape, including specialist robotics companies and bespoke technology manufacturers.

Electricians, welders and boiler makers with marine or defence experience are in high demand in Western Australia, where several defence contractors have been awarded contracts. Demand is set to continue to rise.

In the ACT, an increase in construction has led to a demand for construction manufacturing, from trusses and frames to steel fabrication, joinery and fit-out.

Lean facilitators are sought in response to the increasing number of companies implementing lean manufacturing techniques.

Large manufacturers are also interested in employees with a dual trade as “process improvement remains top of the agenda,” according to the report. PACE APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 11

NEWS

The centre looks to use data science to transform maintenance in the resources sector.

New training centre launched to boost use of data science in maintenance

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new Australian Research Council (ARC) centre co-funded by the federal government and universities will examine the possible uses and potential risks of autonomous decision-making technologies.

The Australian Research Council Training Centre for Transforming Maintenance through Data Science has been officially launched at Curtin University in Perth.

12 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

The centre seeks to use data science to transform maintenance in the mining sector by eliminating manual, repetitive transactional work, developing models to enable people to make better complex decisions, providing standardised training for industry to improve maintenance productivity, and building an ongoing maintenance capability in research institutions and industry.

Curtin University secured $3.9 million of funding over five years for

the Training Centre for Transforming Maintenance through Data Science from the Australian Research Council and a further $5 million from third party partners.

Partners with Curtin University in the centre are BHP, Alcoa, Roy Hill, UWA, CSIRO, CORE Innovation Hub and MRIWA. MRIWA has committed $240,000 over five years for two PhD students to work closely with industry to resolve significant maintenance

challenges using data science.

“The work environment of the mining sector is becoming increasingly more complex with the volume of data now available and the challenge for the sector is to use this data effectively,” state mines and petroleum minister Bill Johnston said.

“By MRIWA investing in scholarships at the centre, the State Government is supporting the mining sector to find innovative solutions to its maintenance challenges.” PACE

NEWS

Reduced TAFE course fees in WA having positive impact on enrolment

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arly data has shown that the 50 per cent cut to TAFE fees implemented by the Western Australian government has boosted student enrolments by 20 per cent, with strong results for engineering and cyber security courses.

The fee reduction has now commenced for 34 priority courses.

The courses have been targeted to align with emerging skills shortages and important sectors of the local

economy.

Preliminary data released by the state government shows that Certificate IV in Cyber Security has seen and additional 114 enrolments, an 85 per cent increase, while Certificate III in Engineering – Fabrication Trade (Heavy/Welding YH) has seen an additional 146 students enrol compared to 2019, an increase of 85 per cent.

WA premier Mark McGowan said that his government was

making TAFE a priority.

“Our cut to TAFE fees is aimed at getting young Western Australians back into training after the huge increases inflicted by the previous Liberal National Government,” McGowan said.

“This is a key plank of our plan to bring TAFE back to its former glory, by encouraging more Western Australians to undertake training in key industries.” PACE

The fee reduction has now commenced for 34 priority courses.

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APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 13

NEWS

Report: companies need to overcome hesitation to reap Industry 4.0 benefits

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new report on digitalisation in Australia’s industries indicates that there is still widespread hesitation when it comes to embracing Industry 4.0 technologies due to perceptions of high costs.

The Demystifying Industry 4.0: Helping SMEs lay the tracks for Australia’s digitalisation express train white paper follows in-depth interviews with over a dozen company executives and ongoing engagement with the local advanced manufacturing sector.

The report states that no industry sector or business will escape the impact of Industry 4.0, with disruptive changes already escalating rapidly across industries.

RMIT University’s Dr Ben Cheng, who led the project, said fear of cost and feeling overwhelmed with the complexity of linking older and newer technologies into a single data stream was still holding many local SMEs

back despite the massive potential to be realised.

“The businesses we talked to mostly assumed Industry 4.0 implementation was inherently costly and therefore only within reach of large, cashed-up corporations,” Cheng said.

“Contrary to these perceptions, transitioning to i4.0 technologies doesn’t necessarily require major investment – there are more affordable technologies, such as data analytics, that can return significant value when expertly deployed within a manufacturing enterprise.”

The white paper suggests that getting started in transitioning to Industry 4.0 technologies, even at an entry-level, can yield direct bottomline benefits and pave the way for higher returns as a business’s level of data maturity grows.

“For low-profit margin manufacturing operations, in particular, staying agile and with or

ahead of the game is crucial. The potential impacts of incrementally increasing the efficiency of mechanical and human resources, cutting costs and reducing waste cannot be understated.”

The key requisites for success in transitioning to Industry 4.0 technology, as outlined in the white paper, were a commitment of top management, a deep understanding of one’s own business and the potential and desired level of transformation, and having a clear implementation strategy.

Cheng said many companies were struggling to get their heads around what the most relevant data was and extracting value from it.

“That deep understanding of your own business includes understanding what data you currently produce, or potentially could produce,” he said.

“Before investing in Industry 4.0 solutions, a business needs to develop a specific understanding of which data is

most essential to capture, who within their organisation will use it, and how that data can be presented to these people in meaningful ways that meet their needs.”

The white paper also outlines the value of partnering with universities to get PhD researchers working on projects, or hiring recent university graduates, as ways to tap into the next generation of engineers with digital know-how.

Cheng said that while taking a business towards Industry 4.0 doesn’t have to happen overnight, there is still a need for timely action, particularly if competitors are already gearing up and introducing Industry 4.0 technologies.

“The Industry 4.0 express train is leaving the platform and playing catch up if left behind could be costly. It is important to be on that train and to keep moving forward as quickly and strategically as possible,” Cheng said. PACE

The whitepaper suggests that getting started in transitioning to Industry 4.0 even at the entry level can be beneficial.

14 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

NEWS

ABB partners with Covariant on AI-enabled robotics solutions

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BB has announced a partnership with Silicon Valley AI start-up Covariant to bring AI-enabled robotics solutions to market, starting with a fully autonomous warehouse order fulfilment solution.

BB launched a global competition in 2019 to assess 20 leading AI technology start-ups on their approach to solutions for 26 real-world picking, packing and sorting challenges.

The aim was to understand if AI is mature enough to unlock the potential for robotics and automation in the segment. ABB also sought a technology partner with which to co-develop a robust AI solution capable of supporting autonomous materials handling, enabling its robots to handle items of infinite variety.

The Covariant Brain is a universal AI that allows robots to see, reason and act in the world around them, completing tasks too complex and varied for traditional programmed robots. Covariant’s software enables

robots to engage in reinforcement learning: adapting to new tasks on their own through trial and error and therefore constantly broadening the range of objects they can pick.

“Our partnership with Covariant is part of our strategy to expand into new growth sectors such as distribution and e-commerce and to leverage the scaling potential in these fields. It perfectly complements our offering and adds to our aim to be the number one choice in robotics solutions for our customers.

Through the combination of artificial intelligence with our robots, we are opening an entire new field of opportunities and applications for a variety of industries,” said Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business.

“If you want to advance artificial intelligence, we now need to take it out of the laboratory and apply it to the real world. We are delighted to be able to work with ABB to create AI Robotics solutions for customers worldwide, benefitting from ABB’s

The Covariant Brain is a universal AI that allows robot to “act” in the world all around them. nearly five decades of domain knowledge and expertise in deploying automation systems into the most demanding industrial environments,” said Peter Chen, Covariant’s chief executive and co-founder.

The first installation of the ABB and Covariant AI-enabled solution is already being deployed at Active Ants (part of the bpost group), a leading provider of e-commerce fulfilment services for web businesses in Utrecht in the Netherlands.

With accelerated global growth experienced in the e-commerce sector, ABB said it identified a significant opportunity for AI-enabled robotics solutions across a broad range of applications including logistics, warehousing, and parcels and mail sorting. Global revenues in e-commerce are expected to increase by over 50 percent within the next five years, rising from 1.7 trillion euros in 2019 to 2.6 trillion euros in 2024, according to Statista. PACE

Endress+Hauser continues growth trajectory

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wiss-based measurement and automation technology specialist Endress+Hauser Group underwent significant growth in 2019, increasing its increased its net sales by almost eight percent and creating 400 new jobs worldwide.

Matthias Altendorf, CEO of the Endress+Hauser Group, said the company has grown across all fields of activity, industries and regions, with strong impetus from Asia. Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East

developed positively, but at a much slower pace.

“With good product innovations, we have set a clear benchmark in the industry,” said Altendorf.

Endress+Hauser’s chief financial officer Dr Luc Schultheiss order entry rose faster than sales in 2019.

“Endress+Hauser has started 2020 with a significantly higher order backlog than the year before,” said Schultheiss.

“The Group was able to maintain

the return on sales at the previous year’s level. We are satisfied with our profit before taxes.”

Endress+Hauser remains on course for growth, though the Group expects slower development in 2020. Sales growth is anticipated to be in the mid-single-digit percentage range, with profitability expected to remain at a good level.

“However, there are still many uncertainties,” said Schultheiss.

Endress+Hauser will present its

audited 2019 financial figures on 12 May 2020 in Basel, Switzerland. PACE

Despite the global economic slowdown, Endress+Hauser remains confident.

APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 15

NEWS

Australian Institute for Machine Learning opens research space at Lot Fourteen

T

he University of Adelaide’s Australian Institute for Machine Learning has officially opened a new research and learning space at the Lot Fourteen innovation precinct in Adelaide.

The Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) is ranked number one in the world for three key areas of artificial intelligence and machine learning. AIML researchers are applying machine learning to agriculture, medical imaging, manufacturing, mining operations, and movie making among many others.

“Our Institute is making an

The AIML is ranked number three in the world for three key areas of AI and machine learning.

16 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

important national and international contribution to pushing the boundaries of what machine learning can do, and how that can be applied to almost every aspect of our lives,” said Professor Anton van den Hengel, director of AIML at the University of Adelaide.

“Artificial intelligence and machine learning are already impacting on industries as diverse as agriculture, medicine, transport, space, defence, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing, and we aim to ensure South Australia remains at the forefront.

“The support of the South Australian Government in setting up

our Institute has been instrumental to our growth and being recognised as one of the best machine learning research groups in the world.

“Over the last two years, we have engaged with more than 100 organisations to help them enter into the new AI-enabled global economy.

We are working with 10 South Australian SMEs to develop world class AI products to sell to the world.”

University of Adelaide vicechancellor Professor Peter Rathjen said that the University’s Australian Institute for Machine Learning was a deep partnership between the University of Adelaide, State

Government of SA, and industry partners such as Lockheed Martin.

“Innovation precincts bring together research and education with government and industry. At Lot Fourteen, we are seeing the evolution of a complex, high-tech ecosystem, where the co-location of all these partners is already driving new knowledge and new ways of using that knowledge,” Rathjen said.

“This will result in the creation of new technologies and industries for our state across a range of sectors. The University is pleased that its Australian Institute for Machine Learning is an important part of this ecosystem.” PACE

NEWS

Demonstration of 5G potential for robotic control at Davos

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uring the World Economic Forum 2020 in Davos, ABB and Ericsson, together with Swisscom, demonstrated the potential of no-latency communication enabled by 5G for robotic control.

At the Congress Center in Davos, Switzerland, an ABB YuMi collaborative robot carved a message in a sandbox that was replicated at the same time by a second YuMi robot located 1.5 km away.

The simultaneous action was enabled through Swisscom’s 5G network equipped with Ericsson technology in real-time and viewed on video screens at both locations.

Based on a multi-year technical collaboration, ABB and Ericsson have developed the fundamental technologies needed to connect machines via a 5G mobile network.

“ABB will continue to drive

the digital transformation of industries by investing in developing innovative solutions and products.

Our partnership with Ericsson and Swisscom helps us to seize the full potential of 5G for industrial manufacturing,” said Peter Voser, ABB CEO and chairman.

Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business said that 5G wireless technologies make it easier to connect robots to the cloud and factory automation systems, enabling faster access to more data and better decision-making.

“As we replace traditional wire set-ups with 5G mobile networks, we can significantly increase flexibility in manufacturing,” Voser said.

Urs Schaeppi, CEO of Swisscom, said that the demonstration in Davos would showcase the possibilities of 5G for manufacturing.

ABb and Swisscom showed the potential of no-latency communication.

“The joint demo uses our live 5G network in Davos to give a glimpse of the capabilities and various

possibilities of 5G for manufacturing and robotics. The time is now to step into 5G.” PACE

Rockhampton Manufacturing Hub officially opens

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he Queensland government has officially opened the Rockhampton Manufacturing Hub at Central Queensland University’s Rockhampton campus.

The hub, a centre of expertise for advanced manufacturing innovation and skills, has been operational since April 2019, and is one of three manufacturing hubs delivered by the Queensland government as part of a total $30 million investment.

The government has made available $13.5 million through its Manufacturing Hubs Grant Program to assist eligible businesses. Up to

$4.5 million is available for each manufacturing hub to build the advanced manufacturing capability of the Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton regions.

State manufacturing minister Cameron Dick said that the hub at Rockhampton would further strengthen the region’s thriving manufacturing sector, helping boost private sector investment and create more jobs.

“Local manufacturers will gain access to business development programs, skills and training and equipment through the Central Queensland University campus,” Dick said.

“By focusing on Central Queensland’s key manufacturing strengths of rail, metal production and food innovation, the hub is ensuring it’s full steam ahead for local industry.”

CQUniversity Senior Deputy ViceChancellor Alastair Dawson said the hub would be strongly linked to the university and its facilities such as the Centre for Railway Engineering.

“Co-locating the hub on CQUniversity’s Rockhampton North campus will give local manufacturers direct access to our world-class facilities,” Dawson said.

“This will give industry in Central

Queensland the opportunity to invest in upskilling and building the workforce of tomorrow.”

Rockhampton manufacturing company SMW Group’s managing director Jack Trenaman said the hub would be a great asset to the region and to local businesses looking to upskill and scale up.

“Establishing this new hub means local manufacturers can access funding opportunities, advice and training to make our region’s businesses bigger and better,” Trenaman said.

“And the more local businesses grow their capabilities, the more jobs we’re creating for the Rocky region.” PACE APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 17

NEWS

RMIT to establish new cyber security research centre

The new centre will bring together experts from multiple disciplines and will work closely with the RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub.

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eading cyber security expert Professor Matthew Warren has joined RMIT University and will establish a new cyber security research centre focusing on the needs of business and industry.

Professor Martie-Louise Verreynne, deputy pro vice-chancellor (research and innovation) in the College of

18 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

Business and Law, said she was excited to welcome someone with such an outward looking focus and strong track record working with government and industry.

“Matt’s extensive experience of more than two decades in cyber security and computer ethics research, coupled with his focus on business

will be a fantastic asset to RMIT,” Verreynne said.

“The complex nature of cyber security is presenting increasing challenges for business as criminals are becoming more adept at exploiting loopholes in computers, and the amount of information and online data is skyrocketing.

“Our new Centre will have a strong focus on looking at the human element and what cyber security means for business. It will also investigate consumers’ concerns around trusting businesses with their data.”

Verreynne said the Centre will bring together experts from multiple disciplines including business, computer science, engineering, mathematics and entrepreneurship.

It will work closely with the RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub. In his former role at Deakin University where he worked for 22 years, Warren was a professor of cyber security. He was also deputy director of Deakin’s Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation and worked on research into policy development, security risk analysis and the impact of cyber security technology.

Warren said he was excited about the new role and opportunities offered

by RMIT as a global university.

“I am looking forward to this opportunity to lead a new holistic cyber security research centre that will investigate a range of aspects including data security but also the business aspects like policy, infrastructure, supply chain and management security,” he said.

“This will be the first centre in Australia to have a business driven view of cyber security, moving beyond the traditional data and technology focus.

“RMIT’s extensive links with industry partners and its global connections including campuses in Vietnam and Barcelona are also drawcards for me.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining the university with the recent launch of its Cyber Ready Cloud Innovation Centre, powered by Amazon Web Services; investment in RMIT’s Blockchain Innovation Hub and new role as host for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated DecisionMaking and Society.” PACE

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CSIRO digital twin technology launched

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ew digital twin technology developed

by CSIRO’s Data61 has been launched this week, demonstrating its capabilities for manufacturing, smart cities, infrastructure planning and disaster management.

The digital twin technology is an open platform that can visualise 3D and 4D data over time of buildings, strata plans, terrain, property boundaries, utilities including power, water and sewer pipes. The demonstration launched by the NSW government this week shows a virtual 4D model of the Western Sydney area’s built and natural environment.

Mats Henrikson, Geospatial Web Systems Group Leader at CSIRO’s Data61, said the technology will allow planners, developers and policymakers to make more informed decisions, saving costs and creating efficiencies.

“The digital twin represents a step change in how we visualise environments and processes taking place in them. Till now decision

makers have referred to property boundaries in 2D. Having them available in 3D together with how they have changed over time, and being able to easily share this with other related data makes it much easier to fully understand the context of the boundaries,” Henrikson said.

“Cities have never been so data rich as a result of connected sensors and many are growing vertically in addition to horizontally. This creates incredible opportunities to overlay 3D/4D data from satellite and drone technologies which is spatially accurate, to show the bigger picture of what’s happening above and below the ground over time.

“An infrastructure developer can now use the digital twin to identify the location of underground utilities before building works commence, or see the potential impact of planned future infrastructure.”

The digital twin also enables government to better communicate plans for infrastructure development to citizens.

The secure-by-design, federated platform incorporates Data61’s open source catalogue technology MAGDA to bring together data from public agencies and the private sector.

It can be accessed by a web browser and while most of the data is available to the public, the built-in security features ensure only authorised individuals have access to certain types of data.

This first phase of the NSW Spatial Digital Twin includes visualisations of the local government areas that comprise the Western Sydney City Deal and Greater Parramatta to the Olympic Peninsula.

Future phases of the digital twin in collaboration with NSW Spatial Services will include other areas of NSW. “By partnering with government and industry across the country, we can harness these technologies into federal collaboration platform enhancing Australia’s smart cities and delivering significant benefit to Australia’s economy,” Barry said. PACE

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NEWS

Automation set to transform employment landscape by 2034

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ver 60 per cent of Australia’s manufacturing jobs will potentially be impacted by automation technologies over the next 15 years, according to a new report from the professional association for Australia’s technology sector, the ACS. Thirty per cent of existing manufacturing jobs will be totally automated and 33 per cent of jobs in the sector will be augmented by technological change by 2034, according to ACS’s report, which was developed by Faethm, a software as a service artificial intelligence platform.

The report, Technology Impacts on the Australian Workforce, also indicates that automation technology could add an additional 122,000 jobs to the manufacturing industry by 2034. Fifty-five per cent of those jobs are expected to be technical roles, including an expansion in the number of software developers, data engineers, data integrators and analysts, and robotics engineers among others.

Across all industries, 1.4 million of the 5.6 million new jobs generated in the economy over the next 15 years will be directly tech related. The ACS has called for a large-scale, cross-policy

approach to be adopted by government to ease the impact on the workforce and address any resulting skills shortages.

“In addition to occupations and skills requirement forecasts, we also wanted to explore the degree to which imbalances might exist between the adaptability and future-readiness of workers across industries,” said ACS CEO Andrew Johnson.

“The outcomes tabled in our Technology Impacts on the Australian Workforce report provide deep insights for businesses to inform future workforce development plans, as well as for policy makers to maximise the

participation rate of all citizens in the opportunities afforded by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

Faethm’s predictions were based on Australian Census data with employment classifications mapped to the company’s job taxonomy of over 1,500 job families to enable like-for-like comparison of the nation’s workforce data.

The 1,511 job families defined in Faethm’s modelling cover 244 attributes such as abilities, knowledge, skills matched with human abilities defined by over 20,000 job tasks to create a matrix measuring each industry’s exposure to automation. PACE

CEDA event promotes collaboration as key to improved R&D

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recent Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) event in Sydney focused on how collaboration between government, researchers and industry can help accelerate research and development in Australia.

Parliamentary secretary to the NSW premier Gabrielle Upton addressed the CEDA audience and shared stakeholder feedback and early learnings about the Accelerating R&D in NSW initiative that she leads.

“The goal is to make NSW the R&D leader within Australia and a world class contributor,” said Upton.

In early discussions with the Advisory Council and stakeholders, Upton said, four levers have emerged for creating a thriving R&D ecosystem: government action and participation

20 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

in the R&D ecosystem, attracting and retaining the best talent and investment to NSW to grow the R&D ecosystem, supporting start-ups to scale up and commercialise research, and enhancing collaboration between stakeholders.

Upton said one example where the government supports coordination and collaboration between different stakeholders is the NSW Research Networks.

“These [NSW Research Networks] are based around an industry sector, such as the NSW Smart Sensing Network, and bring research, government and industry together to identify and solve challenges,” Upton said.

“The Smart Sensing Network has attracted significant research projects to NSW, including a $3 million industryfunded project to develop quantum

sensing solutions for water utilities in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

“This project has also received interest from overseas water utilities.”

The NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN) was established in July 2016 with funding from the NSW Government through the Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer.

The NSSN brings together the world class research taking place in NSW universities with state government agencies and industry to develop innovative solutions to critical challenges that cutting-edge research in smart sensing could play a crucial role in solving.

Upton is working with an Advisory Council of eminent leaders in innovation, business, government and the tertiary education sector to develop

an Action Plan to accelerate R&D in NSW. The Council’s Chair, David Gonski, also shared his insights on opportunities to better harness R&D as part of the CEDA panel which included NSW chief scientist and engineer, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte.

“Collaboration and execution are fundamental if we are to harness the power of R&D to solve our big challenges,” Durrant-Whyte said. PACE The Smart Sensing Network has attracted significant projects to NSW.

NEWS

Professor Aleksandar Subic moves from Swinburne to RMIT

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rofessor Aleksandar Subic has returned to RMIT University as Deputy ViceChancellor of the College of Science, Engineering and Health, and Vice President for Digital Innovation.

Subic joins RMIT from Swinburne University, where he held the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Enterprise.

As RMIT’s first Vice-President of Digital Innovation, Subic said he hopes to continue to create value through innovation at RMIT, and said the College would have a critical role to play in an era of digital disruption and change.

“The world around us has embarked on the fourth industrial revolution involving significant levels of digitalisation and digital transformation across all industry sectors,” Subic said.

“My first priority in this area will be to connect with all stakeholders involved in digital innovation and establish a team approach supported by world class academic capability and

strategic industry partnerships.

“I am excited by the opportunity to contribute to this transformation.”

Subic was a member of the Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce.

He is currently leading the Australian Industry Group (AiG) committee for the future of work, education and training, and is the Co-Chair of the National Digital Transformation Expert Panel under the auspices of Australian Industry Standards.

Subic is also currently chair of the European Research Council (ERC) Expert Panel for Physical Sciences and Engineering, and works with the Global Federation of Competitiveness Council (GFCC) and the German Plattform Industrie 4.0 leadership.

Subic was previously RMIT’s dean for the School of Engineering from 2012-2015, as part of a previous 18-year spell at the university.

Vice-chancellor and oresident Martin Bean CBE said he was delighted to welcome Professor Subic to RMIT’s leadership.

“In addition to driving research

that can shape the world, Aleks has a passion for driving positive student experiences and outcomes, as well as building a culture of inclusion, excellence and impact,” he said.

“He will bring a unique perspective to the College of Science Engineering and Health as we plan for our next strategic chapter.”

Subic said serving on key national and international leadership groups alongside industry and government decision makers had been a privilege and helped shape his views about education, research and leadership.

“This enabled me to access a wealth of knowledge and experience and develop unique insights that have informed my views and actions as a university leader,” he said.

He said industry organisations, alongside business and government, have a key role to play in driving the best research and education outcomes that create economic and social impact.

“For RMIT to stay relevant and play an important role in industrial

and societal transformations, it is essential that we engage closely with industry, as well as business and government,” he said.

“Our research and education must be informed by the needs of industry and society.” PACE

Professor Aleksandar Subic.

Qld gov leases gas field to supply local manufacturers

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he Queensland government has announced that joint venture partners Australian Pacific LNG and Armour Energy have been granted a petroleum lease near Chinchilla in south-west Queensland, with the gas produced to be directed to local manufacturing operations.

State mines minister Anthony Lyndham said the lease would help boost east coast gas supplies and help secure approximately 650 jobs across manufacturers Orica, Orora and

Incitec Pivot’s plants in Queensland.

“This is the first block in Australia to deliver gas solely for use in local manufacturing,” said Lyndham.

“Here’s Queensland once again doing the heavy lifting on gas policy and supply.”

Australian Pacific LNG and Armour Energy will develop up to 103 petajoules of gas over 30 years from a block 22 kilometres southwest of Chinchilla.

Australia Pacific LNG’s Warwick King said the initiative would facilitate additional supply to the

domestic gas market.

“Australia Pacific LNG has a strong commitment to supplying domestic customers and supporting Australian jobs, while continuing to meet our export commitments,” King said.

King indicated that development activity would commence within 12 months and that the first gas would be produced from the block next year.

The Queensland government has released more than 70,000 square kilometres of land for gas exploration since 2015, with over a

quarter guaranteed for the Australian domestic market. Under the 2020 Queensland Exploration Program, a further 6,804 square kilometres of land will be made available for petroleum and gas exploration in the Surat and Bowen basins.

Minister Lynham said that boosting the domestic local gas supply would secure local businesses and local jobs.

“It’s simple – the only way to boost gas supply and to stabilise prices is to find more gas and get it into pipelines to market,” he said. PACE APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 21

INDUSTRY 4.0

Dealing with the challenges of a digital future What are the challenges that small-to-medium manufacturing companies face when making the move to Industry 4.0? How can they overcome them? PACE explains.

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he steady rise of digital technologies in industrial sectors such as manufacturing offers the potential for Australian companies to achieve greater rates of productivity, efficiency and flexibility, along with greater workplace safety.

The majority of manufacturers in Australia are small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). While technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning are often associated with large industrial giants, SMEs, too, have much to gain from the adoption of advanced manufacturing techniques.

But there are barriers and challenges to the uptake of new technologies.

A recent report on industrial digitalisation from RMIT University researchers states that while disruptive changes associated with Industry 4.0 technologies are already escalating rapidly across industries, many local SMEs are still holding back despite the massive potential to be realised.

The report, Demystifying Industry 4.0: Helping SMEs lay the tracks for Australia’s digitalisation express train, was developed out of in-depth interviews with over a dozen company executives and ongoing engagement with the local advanced manufacturing sector.

“Despite the rapidly approaching wave of industrial change, most Australian businesses are still grappling with how to implement or progress beyond entry-level I4.0 [Industry 4.0] technologies and practices,” the report states.

“Many company owners are still sceptical about the potential returns on investment. Others are uncertain about where and how to begin their I4.0 journey. There are also misconceptions among many small and medium 22 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

enterprises (SMEs), in particular, that the new technologies are too costly and beyond their reach.”

According to an international 2017 digital transformation study conducted

by SAP and Oxford Economics a large majority of surveyed company leaders thought that digital transformation would be a crucial factor in business survival over the future five years. Only three per cent of these companies, however, had completed Industry 4.0 transformations across their entire operations. This three per cent, nonetheless, experienced stronger revenue growth and profitability, along with increased customer satisfaction and employee engagement.

Concerns that Australia’s manufacturing sector, in particular, was missing out on the opportunities presented by Industry 4.0 were also aired at this year’s Industrial Internet 4.0 Summit, held at the University of Technology, Sydney, at the end of February.

During a panel discussion on the first morning of the event, Emeritus Professor Roy Green, said that Australia’s poor showing in the recent Harvard Economic Complexity Index, which measures the diversity and the research intensity of a country’s export mix, was cause for concern. Australia came in at 93, in between Senegal and Pakistan.

“Our economy is highly skewed towards the export of unprocessed raw materials, to which we aren’t adding much value, and which is not very diverse in terms of the range of products that we actually export. And the question is how we address that,” said Green.

“We are in the post-mining-boom transition towards a supposedly more knowledge-based economy, and we see the signs of success to some degree,

but it is going to take a lot more effort to move ourselves out of the primary commodity mindset and into a manufacturing mindset.”

According to Green, it is imperative that Australian industry lifts its productivity to be able to compete in global markets.

“First, we need to innovate – it is a case of innovate or die. Second, we need to understand what is meant by ‘smart specialisation’. For us, particularly as we are a smaller country, the future is not in low-cost mass production – we can’t compete in this area. We can compete, however, with SMEs engaged in flexible specialisation, finding which areas of competitive capability they are good at or can be good at, and then focusing with laser-like intensity on those areas,” Green explained.

“What they produce doesn’t have to be a finished product; it can be part of a value chain. The really world class companies that we have in Australia are focused on one or two things that they are doing extremely well.”

The third element that Australian industry needs to focus on, he said, is introducing more diversification into the nation’s export mix by undertaking the research and development that is essential to a high-skill, high-productivity and high wage economy.

Elliot Duff, a robotics research consultant at CSIRO’s Data61, said that

challenges existed in changing the industrial mindset in Australia to one open to the possibilities presented by R&D-intensive and technologically advanced production.

“I want Australia to build robots to service our industry, but there are several issues that are getting in the way of the development of a robotics industry here.

The first is culture – we don’t have a proper culture around

INDUSTRY 4.0

advanced manufacturing because we see ourselves as a commodity country, and our social licenses are all locked into physical creation rather than the knowledge workers,” said Duff.

“And the second is around definitions of what manufacturing is.

And, at the moment, I don’t think we have a very nuanced view of what manufacturing is. We see it as just the fabrication of commodities and not the R&D that is needed and not the sales and services, which is where all the value is.”

Ingrid Marsh, director of industry development at NSW Treasury, said that SMEs are often too busy running their businesses trying to keep costs down

to stop to think about making effective digital transformations to their operations.

“That means one of things we need to be thinking of is helping companies to learn different modalities of running a manufacturing workplace and provide information to business leaders in a flexible way so that they can access it at a time that suits them,” Marsh said.

“But then you need to balance that with the fact that they probably need to take a step back from their business to actually understand what their problems are and what strategic approach they need to take going forward.

Bernard Kornfeld, co-Founder and chief scientist at Factory One, agreed. “About 90 per cent of Australian manufacturers have

199 employees or fewer. I’ve lived on both sides – I’ve been an academic, and I’ve run factories, and the truth is that if a company has fewer than199 people their focus is on day to day operations,” Kornfeld said.

“So, I think we have to go back to the question of what problem we are trying to solve. While we may recognise the great potential from the variety of sensors available, we also have to place ourselves in the context of somebody whose focus today might be OEE; tomorrow it might be too much overtime, etc. I think everybody has to go from the place of recognising what is possible but placing themselves in the situation of someone in a factory. For some SMEs, they feel they are just too small, and that it is just too hard.”

A 2016 study from Coleman Parkes Research found that Australian and New Zealand businesses were wasting $56 billion per year on non-essential, time-consuming administrative tasks, which equates to approximately

$3,900 lost per employee, per year.

But these losses can be reversed by embracing Industry 4.0 technology, helping employees re-focus on core tasks and duties.

Neil Baker, CEO & co-founder of Medulla, said that if SME manufacturers could find the time to understand their own particular industry problems and challenges, and what they needed to respond to those challenges, the flexibility of current technologies would work in their favour.

“I believe that a lot of SMEs are at the point where they have the opportunity to find services and systems that are able to be readily plugged in much easier than they used to be. It is an exciting time – you can just go and buy services that provide your business value very quickly that are easy to implement and are designed to be easy to implement, as opposed to old enterprise systems,” Baker said.

“I think that this is really good for the SMEs, and I think there are a lot of businesses that are very focused on that. If you have a goal outlining what you’re trying to get out of your systems and how to get there there are very low-cost and flexible solutions these days.”

Mel Ireland, membership relationship executive at the Australian Industry (Ai) Group, said that another challenge was educating manufacturers about what technologies and methods were available.

“Those of us here in the room recognise all the concepts, all the enabling technologies – we know what they are. A lot of SMEs that I speak to on a daily basis, particularly in regional Queensland, don’t know much about them,” Ireland said.

“I have actually had a conservation within the last four months where, when talking about enabling technologies, I mentioned IoT. I was interrupted and asked, ‘What does IoT stand for? Internet of Things? You’ve made that up, haven’t you?’ Some SMEs are genuinely not aware of these terms we use on a day to day basis, let alone the technologies that can be applied to their existing business or how that is going to help them. And it is not until we get the education right for SMEs that they can then identify that they do actually have a APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 23

INDUSTRY 4.0

The ARM Hub exists to give better opportunities for companies to get the outcomes they are after.

problem, and how to find something or someone to fix it.”

Ireland said that Ai Group was focused on providing information, whether online or through events, that can guide manufacturers in the right direction. For example, over the last two years Ai Group has run a women in manufacturing event in conjunction with the Queensland Department of Industry.

“We have got close to one thousand students, teachers, mums and dads, small businesses talking about manufacturing and enabling technology. We are trying to shift from that message about what manufacturing truly is today,” she said.

“There is a lot of information out there. The role of Ai Group or other associations is about fostering a collective and collaborative approach: it is about sharing information, about being able to match up businesses that have similar problems. Those connections are starting to create a sense of trust that will help businesses talk to each other.”

Also speaking on the panel was Dr Cori Stewart from the Advanced 24 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub. The ARM Hub is a newly established centre developed in partnership with QUT and Urban Art Projects (UAP). It provides practical production and manufacturing advice in a factory environment, educating manufacturers on new robotic technologies and techniques that can be applied in their own businesses.

“The ARM Hub exists because we have found that it is very difficult for manufacturers, particularly SMEs, to get access to robotics capability and talent,” Stewart said.

Stewart said that her work in establishing industry-related collaborations began in the university context, at the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision in QUT, attempting to deal with challenges faced by Australian companies incorporating robotics technology and skills into their operations.

According to Stewart, the impetus behind the creation of the ARM Hub was to provide industry with the capability to bring projects and talent together. “Partly because robotics talent is so in demand globally, it is

often very hard for companies to get the skills they need and get them at an affordable rate – and at the same time be able to connect with existing opportunities and leverage investment through universities, industry funds, etc.,” Stewart said.

“The ARM Hub has come into existence to accelerate opportunities for companies, and make it so that companies, predominately SMEs, are getting the outcomes they need.”

Stewart said that ARM Hub will be at the forefront of bringing the R&D and technical capability that is coming out of universities into practical industry contexts.

Alongside university hubs that facilitate industry partnerships, governments at federal and state levels have also established grant schemes and other conduits for R&D partnerships between research institutions and SMEs. To help remove the barriers that confront SMEs in transitioning to Industry 4.0, the federal government, for instance, has established Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), and the Innovative

Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), whose aim is to enable manufacturers to get on board with the transformations being wrought by technological innovation and development.

Speaking on an Industrial Internet 4.0 Summit panel, Neil Baker, CEO & Co-Founder of Medulla, said that SME manufacturers should draw on the help and assistance of governmentfunded bodies and programmes in making links and partnerships with cutting-edge industrial research and know-how.

“I have worked with AMGC quite a fair bit, and I think there is a lot of opportunity there to be able to collaborate and get funding to onboard advanced manufacturing technology projects. From my experience, while you need to put in lengthy applications and collaborate with other groups to really build a strong business case together, it is a great opportunity to accelerate advanced manufacturing,” he said.

In 2018, the NSW government released its NSW advanced manufacturing industry development

INDUSTRY 4.0

strategy, which is targeting the development of high- value, high-skills services in the state’s manufacturing sector, particularly in pre- and postproduction processes such as R&D and design.

Alongside supporting access to NSW and Commonwealth funding programs, one of the aims of the strategy is to “[S]trengthen the capacity for industry, government and research institutions to engage and collaborate”. Among the enabling bodies for this collaboration is the NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN). Established in 2016 with funding from the state government, the NSSN has particular focus on unlocking the potentials of smart sensor research in manufacturing and other industries, including the infrastructure and energy sectors.

Marsh said that the NSW government was currently in the process of looking at a new strategy of what to do to support advanced manufacturing in the state.

“We realise that not only do that we need to encourage smart specialisation, but we also need to support the transitioning process,” Marsh said.

Referring to the NSSN, Marsh said that the network could help businesses not only can they get access to the right kind of expertise across the NSW universities, but also help them understand what their own particular problems and needs are.

“What we often find with businesses is that they will come to you and tell you the symptoms of their problem, but they won’t actually be able to articulate what the problem is. So, helping businesses to unpack that is actually a really critical role that we can play, and we can do that throught the Small Business Connect programme as well,” she said.

“We are also doing a lot around skilling to address the education gap. We have the Smart and Skilled programme, which provides subsidised VET training. For businesses there

is also tailored training that is fully subsidised.”

According to Ireland, microcredentialing is another solution. “It is starting to happen in Queensland with support from the state government. We need to look at the skills that are needed to lift up manufacturing, and we need to start thinking about how to attract that next generation of manufacturers coming through,” she said. “The education system has to move in sync with that in terms of what it is able to offer.”

The RMIT report released in late February indicates that having a committed management team and a clear implementation strategy are key requisites for success in transitioning to Industry 4.0 technology.

“Before investing in Industry 4.0 solutions, a business needs to develop a specific understanding of which data is most essential to capture, who within their organisation will use it, and how that data can be presented to these people in meaningful ways that meet their needs,” said RMIT University’s Dr

Ben Cheng, who led the project.

Indeed, the findings of the report indicate that having a clear strategy can mitigate the seeming complexity of Industry 4.0. Moreover, beginning the transition to Industry 4.0 technologies, even at an entry-level, can bring significant benefits.

And if Australia can realise its potential in this area, it would open up the opportunity for manufacturing to increase its competiveness on the global stage, focusing on low-volume but highly customised products delivered using advanced manufacturing techniques.

“As the vast majority of Australian manufacturers are SMEs, these companies are well placed to leverage this potential, with the assistance of I4.0 technologies,” the report states.

“SMEs therefore have a vital role to play in Australia’s economic growth and their market competitiveness and future prosperity must be safe-guarded by the timely development of I4.0 capabilities.” PACE

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APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 25

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

What next for the R&D tax incentive?

Industrial innovation is spurred on by companies carrying out research and development (R&D) for new products and technologies. However, government assistance for R&D has shifted in recent years. PACE takes a look at the current national policy framework for R&D in Australia.

T

he Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) is the Australian government’s primary innovation funding mechanism. However, in the last two budgets the government has attempted to remove more than $1.8 billion from the program.

While the first major changes to the RDTI were proposed by the Coalition in the 2018 budget, it was referred to the senate committee for inquiry and was later rejected. The committee raised concerns about the impact on small businesses and research and development being forcefully moved overseas.

Even though the same concerns are still evident, the legislation was reintroduced to the lower house in December, with only minor changes. On 6 Feb 2020 the Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019 [Provisions] was referred to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 30 April 2020.

The closing date for submissions was 6 March 2020.

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) rely heavily on the RDTI. During 2017-2018 the ATO reported that 80 per cent of registrants for the RDTI were SMEs, with services, manufacturing and mining being the top three sectors, accounting for 92 per cent of all registrations.

This differs significantly to the 20 per cent of large business registrants, which also account for 52 per cent of the expenditure under the RDTI program.

Under the government’s proposal, the RDTI expenditure threshold will

26 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

“We estimate a 47 per cent reduction in the R&D tax benefit for MYOB which will impact our ability to undertake R&D projects in Australia. This reduction is a direct consequence of the proposed intensity measure calculation.” increase from $100 million to $150 million -- a number not necessarily attainable by some small businesses or start-ups.

The changes would also link the R&D tax offset to claimants’ corporate tax rates, along with a 13.5 percentage point premium, and cap claims to $4 million per year for companies generating less than $20 million in revenue annually. Among companies generating more than $20 million, will be subject to an R&D “intensity test”: businesses that spend 9 per cent of business expenditure on R&D will receive a tax offset on 42.5 per cent of that cost, while those that spend 4 per cent on R&D will have their tax offset fall to 34.5 per cent.

Submissions to the senate committee have registered concern that the RDTI bill’s new intensity measure, in particular, would damage incentive to carry out costly R&D. And not only SMEs are concerned.

Accounting software company MYOB said in its submission that it

would face a 50 per cent reduction in its R&D tax benefit if the proposed changes are implemented.

“This bill seeks to reduce the cost of the programs to the detriment of companies actively trying to innovate in Australia,” MYOB head of group finance Grant Lingwood-Smith said in the submission.

“We estimate a 47 per cent reduction in the R&D tax benefit for MYOB which will impact our ability to undertake R&D projects in Australia. This reduction is a direct consequence of the proposed intensity measure calculation.”

Lingwood-Smith said MYOB would consider potentially moving its R&D spend to New Zealand for the development of the company’s new online business management platform for Australia’s and New Zealand’s small businesses and accounting practices.

“MYOB already employs a sizeable software development team in Auckland, currently supported by innovation grants from the NZ government. Notwithstanding NZ’s proposed changes to its R&D credit regime, which will impact MYOB from March 2020, it is still more favourable than Australia’s proposed R&D bill,” said Lingwood-Smith.

Telstra also sounded their concerns. “We believe if the Bill is passed in its current form it could result in discouraging additional R&D expenditure in Australia for many claimants (particularly large businesses),” the company wrote in its submission to the senate committe.

“The intensity measure punishes claimants who have an inherently high Australian cost base, such as the telecommunications industry, which

SMEs rely heavily on the Reseach and Development Tax Incentive Bill (RDTI). is capital intense and has a large Australian employee base.”

“In the current economic climate, business needs government leadership and support, especially where it will help drive commercial innovation.

The government should increase its support for R&D via the R&D tax incentive.”

According to Peter Burn, head of influence and policy at Ai Group, the government’s RDTI bill should be

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

withdrawn or, if not, the crossbench ought to vote against it.

“We think the bill is no better than it was the last time it was introduced and rejected by the committee, and it should be rejected again,” said Burn.

Burn said the capping makes sense, if there was misuse, but the rationale and the reduction of incentives doesn’t. If it were to become legislation, Burn said, it would spell

bad news for Australian industry, with the economy will missing out on the benefits that flow from research and development, including the benefits felt in the broader community.

Along with the RDTI expenditure threshold being increased to $150 million, other proposed changes to the bill include a $4 million cap for smaller companies and an intensity threshold being introduced for larger companies.

The federal Labor opposition have publicly noted their concerns with this bill, including its potential to drive jobs overseas. Labor have every intention of blocking the bill in Parliament.

Labor Senator Louise Pratt said she has already had some queries from manufacturing companies who are concerned.

The key concern is the damage to manufacturing companies and

their ability to invest in research and development, which, as a result, will affect their ability to adapt and innovate in an internationally competitive environment.

Some stakeholders have also raised issues with the current tax incentive, which Pratt said this bill doesn’t resolve.

The government has been accused

by Labor of putting their political promise of a budget surplus ahead of APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 27

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

SMEs created seven million jobs in 2017 contributing to 57 per cent of Australia’s GDP.

the needs of Australian businesses.

According to Pratt, the money should be being invested back into industry.

“The government has decided to bring this this bill back to Parliament at a time when research and development investment in Australia is in decline,” Senator Pratt said.

“It is clear that the bill is designed to prop up the government’s intended budget surplus, but this should not come at the expense of industry and jobs.”

Labor introduced the Research and Development Tax Incentive, which it claims addresses the need to arrest the decline in research and development spending.

“It is very clear the government doesn’t appreciate the potential 28 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

impact of these changes on the manufacturing sector and jobs,” said Pratt.

In 2017 alone, SMEs created approximately seven million jobs, contributing 57 per cent of Australia’s GDP for the year.

According to Emeritus Professor at UTS, Roy Green, research and development is dropping in proportion to the GDP. “Over the past five years or so, it has dropped from 2.2 per cent GDP expenditure on research and development to 1.79 per cent,” Green said.

According to Green, while 2.4 per cent is average, some countries have expenditure on research and development at 3 per cent or above,

which is what Australia should be aiming for. He said he thinks Australia should be nurturing and building on the exemplars of the great small and medium enterprises in the country that participate very effectively and contribute to value chains globally.

“We need to contribute to competitiveness through government programs, especially through research and development,” he said.

“Tinkering with the RDTI isn’t the solution,” said Green.

Green suggested that that expenditure should be replaced with something more comprehensible and targeted instead as a part of an industry policy for the future. Indeed, according to Green, the RDTI is

an imperfect form of assistance in the absence of any other policy to support Australian manufacturing. He suggested that Australia could benefit greatly from a coherent industry policy that would provide guidelines and priorities.

“The introduction of something like this would provide industry support to develop new technology and skills where we have the competitive advantage,” he said.

The $1.8 billion in cuts that the RDTI could sustain hasn’t been replaced with any other incentives in the Coalition government’s budgets.

However, it is possible that if the government can think beyond the RDTI, it could devise a much more effective form of assistance. PACE

XXX

B E F EA TURED IN

With the expansion of digital Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies across industry, it is more vital than ever that companies keep their data, machinery and operations secure. Maintaining robust cyber security measures and systems is therefore essential for companies across industrial sectors, ranging from manufacturing, to mining, to oil and gas. The challenges of implementing effective security measures against cyber threats, and what can be done to mitigate the impact of attacks when they occur, will be the focus of the June/July feature of PACE magazine.

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN TAKING PART IN THE NEXT EDITION OF PACE, contact Danilo Cortucci at Danilo.Cortucci@primecreative.com.au

AUGUST 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 1

TEST & MEASUREMENT

Adapting to an age of technological disruption PACE speaks with Vega Australia’s managing director John Leadbetter about incorporating innovative technology into its products.

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ith wave after wave of innovation emerging and promising to disrupt the industry in new ways, it can be overwhelming to keep up. According to Vega Australia’s managing director, John Leadbetter, however, what manufacturers are craving, in this new normal, is simplicity.

“They just want to be able to rely on the equipment that’s in their

plant. They don’t want complicated equipment, they don’t want difficult equipment – they want simple equipment,” Leadbetter told PACE. “One of the other things that people are looking for is, like all things these days, they want things more compact. So, instead of having large equipment out there, they want small compact equipment that’s easy to operate and easy to understand.

Because, at the end of the day, if something breaks it’ll be a simple and safe process to unplug it, pull it out, put a new one in, plug it back in and have it all back up and running.”

As a long-standing supplier of process measurement technology to the process industry – including

mining, water, grain, oil and gas – Vega Australia has the technical expertise and capabilities to supply its sensors to the automation and manufacturing markets.

Vega was formed in Germany in 1959 and has been located in Australia since 1987. With more than 60 years’ experience and 33 years supplying to the Australian market, the company is well known for its agile approach to product development in the markets that it has traditionally supplied to.

“How we improve our products, is based on customer feedback. We listen to what customers say, and we say, ‘Okay, that’s something the market is looking

Bluetooth adds a new dimention to the instruments that Vega offers.

30 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

for; we need to develop the product to suit those market conditions.’ We don’t ask the market to adapt to us, we adapt to the market,” Leadbetter said.

After a move more than four years in the making, Vega Australia finally launched a new product range targeted exclusively towards the automation and manufacturing industry on 1 January 2020.

“We haven’t suddenly made this decision. The decision to go into this industry took over four years, during which we looked at it, we invested in the research, we invested in the possibilities, we invested in what the requirements were, and then we developed the products to go into this market,” Leadbetter explained.

“We identified the manufacturing and automation industry as massive, so there are two ways we tackled this.

First, we talked to customers, or the

“The decision to go into this industry took over four years, during which we looked at it, we invested in the research, we invested in the possibilities, we invested in what the requirements were, and then we developed the products to go into this market.”

TEST & MEASUREMENT

Vega launches a product range targeted at automation and manufacturing.

end- users themselves.

“Second, we’ve been approaching machine manufacturers worldwide and asking them to have a look at our products and use our products on their machinery. This way, when that machinery turns up to the customer, it has already got Vega equipment on there.”

In making the decision to supply to this market, Vega looked into adapting their products to the market.

“We took away some of the features that people are not looking for in the industry without

Vega has the technical expertise and capabilities to supply its sensors to automation and manufacturing markets.

compromising performance or quality but, rather, scaling them, standardising fittings, standardising cable plug systems and delivering them in a package attuned more towards the automation and

manufacturing industry. In short, we’ve adapted to this market, rather than asking the market to adapt to us.

“One of the other things we looked at was the industry standards.

For instance, if a customer is using a certain product and we come along offering something they prefer, then it’s a simple changeover for the customer.

We’re making it so that the customer’s choices and the customer’s ability to make a change is made simpler.”

One of the ways in which Vega is incorporating those disruptive innovations, specifically the IIoT, and still keeping it simple, is by introducing Bluetooth communication into its general range of instruments.

“We decided that if we add Bluetooth to these particular instruments, we’ve already got something new for the market that no one else is doing. And, so, we’ve looked at the industry’s communication systems and we’ve adapted our electronics to their systems.

“The reason we went down that path is that the majority of people these days carry a smartphone, so by downloading a free app, they’re able to communicate or calibrate the

particular instruments by something they carry around in their pocket and have easy access to the equipment. So, no longer do we need expensive test equipment or expensive calibration equipment – today, it’s all about simplicity and ease.”

Leadbetter explained that the new product range specifically for the automation and manufacturing industries is broken down into four core areas.

“The first one is a level transmitter for small tanks in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. They basically display the contents or the amount of material, liquids or solids in those particular tanks or vessels, which is necessary for clients to know exactly where their inventory stands. We did that with a small range of radar level transmitters.

“The second thing we looked at was pressure transmitters. Now the ones that we previously had were heavy industry pressure transmitters meant for very rugged environments – mining, oil and gas. So, again, we’ve taken those concepts and we’ve said, ‘Okay, in a dairy situation or a pharmaceutical situation, they’re not looking for ruggedness, what they’re looking for is strict hygiene or food approval or pharmaceutical approval’. In other words, your fittings must be of a certain specification – we’ve done that.

“The third thing we looked at was a simple device, basically an alarm point system, to show if your tank is full or empty. Not everyone wants to know the contents all the time, some of them just want protection from overfilling, or running out of material, so we’ve come up with a simple level switch. “The fourth thing we came up with was a controller where you can feed the sensors into the controller and it might monitor pumps, control valves, control gates.

Again, we’re giving the customer not only the solution in the vessel, but we give them a solution where they can control their operation.”

With more than 60 years’ experience, Vega has proven it has put in the time, the research and the commitment into improving and simplifying their products – and now manufacturers, too, can benefit. PACE APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 31

AUTOMATION

Reaping the harvest: automating New Zealand’s agricultural industry Keeping New Zealand fruit export industry competitive on the global stage means finding ways of keeping postharvest operations efficient. PACE looks at a robotic solution that pushes the envelope in bin filling technology.

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he post-harvest sector, where agricultural produce is dealt with immediately following harvest, involves the cooling, cleaning, sorting and packing of crops. In New Zealand, there have been struggles within the industry to maintain increasing production targets while undergoing a decline in the number of skilled

workers in the sector.

Post-harvest operations in New Zealand are geared towards improving productivity and efficiency, and it is these improvements that enable local companies to compete in overseas markets. Achieving productivity and efficiency gains, however, has become increasingly difficult due to the industrywide labour shortage.

According to Rob Elstone, co-founder of Hortworx, a new agritech company based in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, the shortage of skilled labour means there is an increasing need for automation in the post-harvest environment.

“In many pack houses in New Zealand, there is the constant struggle of needing to be able to grow 10-15 The area that Elstone and Hortworx first set their sights on was bin filling.

32 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

per cent per year in production while availability of staff is low. For this reason, there is no alternative but to increase automation in this sector,” Elstone told PACE. “The downside, however, especially in the New Zealand market, is that there is not a lot of available cash to be spent on that automation, or if there is, people don’t want to spend it. It is a bit of a hard situation.

I think New Zealand is a bit behind the curve on this.”

Elstone has extensive experience in the industry, having worked at Fruit Handling Systems, which subsequently merged into Compac Sorting. Later, he set up RBE Automation and Electrical, a company that provides automation solutions to industrial companies. The impetus behind Hortworx has been the provision of automaton products to the agricultural sector.

“I have been servicing and working in packhouses for the last six to seven years. Doing maintenance and service work in this area first-hand means I’ve been able see where things are going wrong and what is happening on the ground,” Elstone said.

The area that Elstone and Hortworx first set their sights on was bin filling. Bin fillers are critical in transporting fruit from harvest platforms or from pack houses to bins for export without damage. Elstone said that the catalyst for his machine was both bringing bin filling up to speed with the latest developments in automation technology and making the process simpler.

“Nobody has changed tech for a while. Many bin fillers are starting

AUTOMATION

to get old, and they are quite rough with fruit. Where they are automated, they often have a lot of sensors and quite bulky motors. They are usually quite large, unwieldy machines,” Elstone said. “We therefore saw an opportunity to redesign the bin filler concept, bring it up to standard, and put some good up-to-date quality tech on it to make a nice simple machine.”

The result is Hortworx’s Robotic Bin Filler (RBF), which could prove to be a gamechanger in the space. The machine not only brings bin filling up to speed with advanced automation technologies. The RBF’s simple 24-volt DC power design makes it capable of working out in the field.

The next stage will be integrating the machine with orchard operations.

“We are going to start putting them on orchard vehicles. This means that when they are picking out on the orchard, rather than having to go and empty the bag into a bin manually, you will be actually emptying it into a conveyer which conveys the fruit to the bin,” Elstone said.

In developing the RBF, Elstone needed electric actuators that integrated with the specially designed automation system. It was important that the machine was easy to control and scalable.

Elstone approached LINAK, a leading actuator specialist. Todd Lay, LINAK’s New Zealand sales engineer, explained that it was important that Hortworx was provided with an actuator solution that was specific to the needs of the RBF. “Rob approached us at an industry trade show. He was specifically looking for LINAK Linear actuators.

We helped to specify a solution based on his specific requirements.

We looked at a number of different options and found something that could be optimised to suit his needs,” Lay said.

The RBF employs LINAK’s LA36 Linear Actuator. On each RBF, two of these actuators control the up and down and the side-to-side movement of the whole machine. Elstone explained that the features of the LA36 were perfectly suited to what he and his team were trying to achieve.

“One of the strengths of the LA36 Linear Actuator is that it is completely electronic – with a lot

The RBF employs LINAK’s LA 36 Linear Actuator. of actuators from other companies you have to provide your own fusing and your own control, and your own way of establishing of feedback and position. LINAK’s actuators fully incorporate provided power, and they are available with integrated controller options,” said Elstone.

“One of the strengths of LINAK’s LA36IC actuator is that it incorporates Integrated Control technology. With a lot of actuators from other companies you have to provide your own fusing and your own control, and your own way of establishing feedback and position. LINAK’s IC actuators fully incorporate all of these features and more,” said Elstone.

“The LA36 provides full analogue feedback of actual position and travel – and that aspect alone has allowed us to remove five sensors off the machine. It was the best actuator for what we needed.

“Also, the fact that it had to be 24-volt DC brought certain limitations. It is actually a bit of a speciality area, the low-voltage, highthrust setup – and in this area, the LINAK range is very good.”

Elstone said that LINAK worked closely with him to determine which actuator model would work best with the RBF machine. “What we immediately found reassuring was their attitude. They were accepting of and interested in what we were doing.

It’s not often like that,” said Elstone.

He said that LINAK were proactive in showing Hortworx the range they had available and how they worked, and sent product data, additional details, and samples for Elstone to assess.

“They were very forthcoming on helping me determine what would be best for my application and providing the data to ensure I could go over it and see how it would all work. At the end of the day, the quality of LINAK’s products is very high – I am very impressed with what we have been getting compared to what competitors were trying to offer in the same space. They will definitely be my go-to from now on.”

Lay explained that it was important for LINAK to be able to support its customers at the design level to ensure they get the right solution for their needs. “We have a range of products that can be tailored and we can provide a solution that is specific to our customers’ needs.

This gives us a very strong position in the market to be able to support customers at the early stages of design,” he said.

“New Zealand has a relatively small population and there are a number of

“The LA36 provides full analogue feedback of actual position and travel – and that aspect alone has allowed us to remove five sensors off the machine. It was the best actuator for what we needed.”

smaller companies that are very innovative and often grow to export products internationally. So it is important for us to support that innovation and ensure our local companies are at the cutting edge.”

As for Hortworx, Elstone is now focused on establishing broader distribution for the RBF and expanding product offerings in the agritech sector by concentrating on research and development.

“To me, that is where I want to be pushing – thinking about where we can provide support to the agricultural sector in the form of cutting-edge automation solutions.” PACE

LINAK were proactive in showing Hortworx the range they had available and how they worked.

APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 33

2020

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WASTEWATER

CRC has a zinc protection range that is able to treat welding points that will then colour match and also provide ongoing protection.

A trusted partnership in protecting against corrosion Like BMW, DHL, and M&Ms, some companies have become so familiar that they are just known by their acronym.

In the water and wastewater industry two such companies are BSC and CRC.

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ith BSC standing for Bearing Service Company, and CRC standing for Corrosion Reaction Consultants, the meeting of the two in an industry driven by movement, and defined by its corrosive environment, makes for a partnership that has come to be relied upon.

Iain Faber, national channel manager at CRC Industries, describes how corrosion can be a significant issue in water and wastewater facilities.

“You’ve not only got the water, but you’ve got abrasive particles that generally flow at high rates both through plant treatment and distribution networks. Then there’s going to be additional chemicals and oxidants that are ever present as well as with grey water collection and recycling that include chlorines or any of the other sort of chemicals. Then there’s also the high PH levels of that water and wastewater treatment water.”

As Steve Keown, national product manager at BSC, states, the rotating pieces of equipment that are in these contexts must be insulated.

“Normally everything from moving joints, whether it be a water gauge or whether it be on an aerator, that is exposed to those sorts of environments has got to be protected.”

This is where CRC’s range of

corrosion inhibiting products comes in. Whether used at the point of installation, during refurbishment, or as part of a plant overhaul, the cathodic protection offered by CRC’s coatings can ensure plant longevity.

“You’ll get longer component life with the most appropriate surface treatment and sometimes those need to be completely rejuvenated as well,” said Keown.

Within this range are an array of application-specific products, designed for the water and wastewater industry.

“The most effective range of galvanic rust protection products contain zinc to help stop rust and rust creepage. This is due to zinc being a metal that has a low galvanic potential and a small tendency to corrode. CRC has a zinc protection range that is able to treat welding points that will then colour match and also provide ongoing protection,” said Faber.

“When you have a look at our colour range they’re for specific applications, so whether it’s clean water or waste water allocating blue or green or whether it’s a safety requirement where you’re allocating yellow, or whether it’s a general plant where you’re allocating white. It actually makes the products resistant to scratching, etching, and corrosion.”

While the most obvious candidate for this kind of protection are surfaces or equipment made of iron or steel,

Faber highlights that other pieces of equipment require corrosion protection.

“You can also look at maintenance in terms of electrical, whether that’s control panels or control rooms.

We’ve also got corrosion protection for electrical facilities so whether that’s water, dust, air, corrosion on electrical panels, control rooms, or UV resistant coatings.”

To ensure that the right product is used in the right context, BSC will apply their expert knowledge of the water and wastewater industry.

“The application is always defined, and once the application is known and any challenges with that application – whether they be historically known or just presented – are taken into consideration, then we look at the product,” said Keown.

BSC is represented nationally around Australia with staff ready to assist in the application of a corrosion inhibitor.

“BSC has a team of sales representatives nationally that work out of each BSC location. We’ve got sales managers who will come out for site calls,” said Keown.

“If you’ve got something specifically that needs to be looked at or checked, we’ll come out and look at it, if it’s something that requires the engagement of our engineering teams, we’ve got a team of highly skilled

engineers, that can assist if it gets to the engineering level.”

This team is backed up by CRC’s 50 years of operations and manufacturing in Australia, as well as it’s 60 years of global history and international expertise in product development and testing. Faber explains how this is imparted to BSC representatives.

“We go through and allocate how these products are used in industry and how they align with BSC’s water and wastewater segment focus. The fact that we’re market leading and trusted in the industry makes it a really good business relationship because we’re both trusted in our individual segments so that when we join forces we’re obviously at a higher level of respectability in the market.”

Keown also noted the closeness of the relationship.

“BSC is a national distributor of the CRC range of corrosion protection products, our staff are trained by the CRC technical department, and they also work closely with them on applications when required.”

“With BSC being known for outstanding customer service and after hours contact for emergency call outs, you can certainly be assured of customer service at a very high level.” PACE For more articles like this go to: www.lets-roll.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 35

NEW PRODUCTS

Backplane Systems Technology presents Winmate’s Stainless B Series Panel PC with push buttons This Stainless B Series Panel PC with push buttons is available in sizes ranging from 10.1” to 21.5”, designed to be a factory automation control terminal that improves production efficiency in applications that call for high sanitary standard, especially in food, beverage, and chemical industries.

Backplane Systems Technology 02 9457 6400 www.backplane.com.au

This Windows-based HMI supports the latest Windows operating system, meanwhile it ships with Intel Celeron Bay Trail-M N2930 processor to deliver high computing performance while ensuring low power consumption.

The Panel PC features SUS316 stainless steel housing to withstand harsh chemicals without corroding over time. With full IP65 water and dust proof compliance, the B Series survives overall splashing conditions Push buttons bring control and indication directly to the work area, eliminating wasted movement and increasing productivity. In addition, the physical buttons provide an intuitive and quick way when it comes to critical tasks like emergency shutdowns.

In terms of machine integration, push-button devices are easy to install and wire, and straightforward for understanding the function and use. on average, the wiring time is saved by over 60 per cent, and the installation cost is reduced by more than 30 per cent.

Key features: • Intel Celeron N2930 Bay-Trail Processor; • User-defined function buttons and large emergency button; • Rotary switch for touch mode (hand/rain/glove) selection; • SUS316/ AISI316 stainless steel for food and chemical industries; • Fanless cooling system; • Full IP65 waterproof enclosure, good corrosion resistance; • A true flat, easy-to-clean front surface with Edge-to-Edge design; • Supports VESA mount.

MDT Software releases AutoSave 4.0 for System Platform MDT Software, creators of its popular AutoSave Change Management software have made the 4.0 release of AutoSave for System Platform (A4SP) available to provide users with a fully functional and seamlessly integrated solution for managing changes and securing your historical data within your Galaxies, and now between Galaxies.

New features include support for System Platform 2017 update including SP1, as well as an ability to rename for Galaxies and nodes whilst maintaining history, “object-to-object” compare, object compare between Galaxies, Galaxy summary compare and an option to decrease warnings due to checked-out objects. In addition, there is an improved report interface for ‘improved objects-changed’ and support for all new attributes in this latest release.

MDT Software is available through Control Logic.

Control Logic 1800 557 705 www.controllogic.com.au

36 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

NEW PRODUCTS

ICP Electronics Australia presents ICP DAS XP-9X81-WES7 Windows embedded Standard 7 IPC The XP-9181-WES7/XP-9381-WES7/XP-9781-WES7 are WES7 based PACs that combine computing, I/O, and operator interface into a single unit, and provide the perfect solution for integrating HMI, Data Acquisition and Control in an individual PAC.

ICP Electronics Australia 02 9457 6011 www.icp-australia.com.au

It is equipped with an Intel E3827 CPU, 1/3/7 I/O expansion slots and a variety of connectives including Dual Gigabit Ethernet, VGA, USB Port, RS-232 and RS-485 Interface. Local I/O slots are available to use our I-9K and I-97K series I/O modules and remote I/O expansions are available to use our Ethernet I/O modules and RS-485 I/O modules.

Since WES7 has the same Win32 API as Windows 7, most popular applications on desktop can run on WES7 based Panel PC. Key Features: • E3827 (1.75 GHz) CPU; • WES7 (Windows Embedded Standard 7); • Supports eLogger HMI (free); • Supports VGA and HDMI dual display; • 64-bit hardware serial number for software protection; • Rich I/O expansion ability (RS-232/RS-485, FRnet); • 2 10/100/1000M Ethernet ports; • Redundant power input; • Operating temperature: -25 ~ +75°C; • Audio with microphone-in and earphone-out.

Katronic adapt dual-channel flowmeters to make the best of the worst flow conditions One of the assumptions made when installing a flowmeter is that the instrument in a location where there is a stable and undisturbed flow.

The reality is though that accessing such ideal measurement conditions is often difficult, or impossible. Disturbances in the flow profile could be caused by numerous things but generally are a result in a change to the pipe through which the liquid is flowing. This could be a change of angle or plane through bends, a change of diameter through a reducer or diffuser or some other process equipment such as a valve or pump.

These changes in fluid condition cause the flow profile to shift with the point of maximum fluid velocity no longer being located in the centre of the pipe.

flow condition into account looking at potential locations for meter installation.

In order to provide guidance in how best to do this, Katronic have published a document on their website highlighting how dual-path ultrasonic flowmeters can be used to improve measurement results under non-ideal installation conditions.

AMS Instrumentation & Calibration 03 9017 8225 www.ams-ic.com.au

Localised flow profile changes resulting from these pipe modifications will cause problems for most flowmeters installed in the same area. The cause is that regardless of the measurement technique used, there is an assumption that the observed flow condition is happening at the point of fastest flow and that no other outside influences are in play. The initial question is therefore what can be done to identify when disturbances to the flow might be happening, and then secondly to offer an appropriate solution.

It should be mentioned at this point that certain measurement technologies are more immune to this effect than others. Coriolis flowmeters for example calculate flow and density based on the vibrations of the internal tubing within the meter body and as such are not constrained in the same way as other instruments. Users of clamp-on flowmeters, along with many other devices, need to take the

APRIL/MAY 2020 www.pacetoday.com.au 37

NEW PRODUCTS

Highly reliable insertion paddle wheel flow meters Trimec Flow products offers a range of highly reliable insertion paddle wheel flow meters for accurately metering flow in larger diameter pipelines (40 - 2500mm).

less expensive than full bore flowmeters, especially in larger pipe sizes.

Insertion paddle wheel sensors are a robust measuring technology that boasts exceptional tolerance to dirt and solids.

The Trimec Flow Products Dualpulse insertion paddle wheel flow transducer is a cost effective means of accurately measuring the flow of water, water-like liquids or a wide variety of low viscosity liquids in completely full, large diameter pipes. The sensor is inserted into the process piping via a suitable fitting. Liquid flow through the pipe results in rotation of the affixed paddle wheel. The rotational speed of the paddle is proportional to the flow velocity, and therefore, proportional to the flowrate in the pipe.

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The insertion type design provides a measuring technique that is much less expensive than full bore flowmeters, especially in larger pipe sizes.

Insertion paddle wheel sensors are a robust measuring technology that boasts exceptional tolerance to dirt and solids.

The insertion type design provides a measuring technique that is much

Smart Factory with IoT: igus develops smart plastics app for Fanuc FIELD system In order to be able to evaluate data from machines and systems centrally, Fanuc is now presenting its new open industrial IoT platform called “FIELD system”. The system can connect production machines of all manufacturers by means of a local network topology, enabling comprehensive data analysis of the entire process chain. In this infrastructure, apps from Fanuc and also from third-party suppliers are used. Now, igus has developed a smart plastics app for the new system. The app can be used by maintenance personnel to monitor the condition of their igus components, for example, energy chains and cables and plan all their maintenance work in good time.

Networking is the current buzz word where predictive maintenance and Industry 4.0 are concerned. In addition, industrial IoT platforms are used. Automation specialist Fanuc has now developed such a platform.

The Fanuc Intelligent Edge Link & Drive system ( FIELD) was presented by the company for the first time in Europe at EMO. With the FIELD system, production machines can be networked with each other. It can work “on premise” or, in future, with a Cloud link. The system collects and analyses the machine data on site. The operating data and sensor data of the machines can therefore be gathered centrally via only one server and viewed whenever necessary. Efficiency is easy to monitor, production processes can be accelerated and maintenance work can be planned. Due to the openness of the platform, all machines can be connected to the system. Apps for the system are provided by FANUC as well as by third-party suppliers. The motion plastics specialist igus has developed an app for its smart plastics and made it available to the FIELD platform. Once the igus smart plastics app has been integrated, users can monitor the condition of their energy chains and cables at any time and can also plan maintenance work well in advance. In the future, the condition of slewing rings, linear and plain bearings will also be monitored with the app.

Connection via icom.plus in a secure environment Under the name isense, igus carries sensors of various kinds that detect the condition of igus components. They measure among other things, the wear during operation and alert the user early enough to

38 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020

plan repair or replacement. The icom.plus communication module provides the igus data via an integrated OPC-UA server. This data is then fed into the platform by means of the FANUC Converter. “Due to the openness of the FIELD system, the customer can now use the data and service life statements of all igus products in a protected local network environment”, explains Richard Habering, Head of the smart plastics Business Unit at igus GmbH. “The igus smart plastics app tells the maintenance technician when they should carry out the next maintenance. Unscheduled machine downtime can be avoided.”

The FIELD system apps, like the igus smart plastics app, can be downloaded by the user from the FIELD system app store. Here, customers can choose their desired software solutions themselves.

For any questions or to purchase the igus products, contact Treotham Automation.

Treotham Automation 1300 657 564 www.treotham.com.au

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