Qantas Airways will cut 5000 jobs as it moves to speed up its $2 billion cost cutting plan. The cuts,to made over a three year period, will involve the loss of 1500 management and non-operational roles and comes as the carrier booked a $252 million underlying loss for the six months to December 31. Qantas will also exit the Perth-Singapore route and use smaller aircraft on flights from Sydney and Brisbane to Singapore.
(Picture) Waikato engineering graduate Andrew Russell scans milk samples which will later be analysed, during a visit to a Waikato milking shed as part of his role at Lely Sensortec Ltd. Using electronic engineering to help farmers worldwide is an exciting reality for University of Waikato graduate Andrew Russell. Andrew works for Lely Sensortec Ltd, a company which designs animal management products. His role within the company is to complete research and development into new and innovative ways to electronically sense cattle herd health. In the past a significant project for the company has been creating a milk quality monitor for use on dairy farms. “On a typical day I may be working on data analysis, or designing and assembling new prototypes. Testing these prototypes is a highlight, during which we visit farms, talk to farmers and recreate real life situations,” says Andrew. The former St Paul’s Collegiate student completed a Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering at Waikato University. He chose Waikato because it was close to home and had the bonus of the School Leavers Scholarship. “Although engineering at Waikato University is relatively new, I think the degrees offered are just as good if not better than ones obtained from a traditional ‘engineering’ university.” He says the main experience that stood out in his undergraduate degree was the opportunity to complete work placements as part of his study. “Work placements are an opportunity to get a foot in the door and get some real life experience. During my second work placement I worked here at Lely Sensortec. I studied the effect of temperature on sensors and learnt how to calibrate against temperature effects.” Following undergraduate study, Andrew received a masters scholarship from the Ministry of Science and Innovation, which allowed him to build further on his relationship […]
The G24 Hot Runner Temperature Control System was designed for use on injection moulding applications, but also for other applications such as controlling thermoforming, blow moulding and extrusion (profile and sheet). The new products include:- A new Mini Touch-Screen – which provides full feature performance at a lower cost. It is windows based and available for controllers with up to 48 zones. G24 Controller with 12 zones – This is the ideal solution for moulders running smaller hot runner systems applications. It features a half-size control block with 15 amps per zone control. It is available with either the new lower cost Gammaflux Mini Touch Screen or the traditional full-featured interface. A new Mould Wizard – an all new controller setup and configuration tool which provides fast, easy setup and access to key G24 features. It guides users through the setup process and unlocks hidden profitability by more fully utilizing the advanced features of the controller and decreases setup time simultaneously. It is available on all Gammaflux G24 controllers. Gammaflux specialise in the production of hot runner controls for the plastics injection moulding industry. They have a reputation for providing innovative solutions for temperature control and their systems are used worldwide in some of the most challenging injection moulding applications.
Adaptable, lightweight analysis instrumentation suitable for the recycling industry was the focus of the Olympus display at the Australian Waste and Recycling Exhibition (AWRE) recently held in Melbourne. Each year, AWRE provides an opportunity for exhibitors to showcase innovation, meet with key figures from industry and government on the trade show floor and at seminars and workshops. The Delta Professional has been developed specifically for the Alloy and NDT sectors, especially companies conducting analysis of manufactured and scrap materials such as stainless steel and a wide range of other alloy types. Also displayed at AWRE was the GoldXpert, a stylish and functional bench-top precious metals analyser ideal for the new and second hand precious metals market. The unit was designed to be compact and attractive, ideal for use on a showroom floor. The GoldXpert can take the drudgery out of routine analysis.It is easy to use and provides carat and compositional analysis results with one push of a button. An XRF analyser uses a controlled beam of radiation to excite the electrons in a sample causing the elements to ‘fluoresce’. Each element fluoresces at a specific energy level, which can be identified as a characteristic peak. A higher peak indicates a greater concentration of an element. Technological advances have enabled Olympus to design and build lighter and more compact analysers that are now more affordable for smaller companies. In Australia the largest market for XRF analysers has been the mining and mineral exploration sector. Overseas scrap metal companies, especially in Asia and the US, use XRF extensively, but in Australia a lot of companies are yet to discover the benefits the technology provides. Scrap metal is like gold, if you can identify the composition of your scrap accurately you can really take advantage of the market.
Krauss Maffei will exhibit at Chinaplas in April 2014 a KM CX 200-180/180 W twin injection moulding machine in collaboration with Zahoransky Group of Germany and their innovative patented ‘cube technology’ concept TIM (Total Integrated Manufacturing) enabling the moulding, assembly and testing of multi-component parts in one injection moulding cell. The key to the efficiency of the system is the two mounting plates which are positioned outside the tool. This allows complex assembly processes to be carried out in parallel to the production without increasing the cycle time. The mounting plates can be moved on the X and Y axis by 180¼ and at the completion of the injection process the moulded parts can be picked up by the assembly jig and combined with the parts that have already been produced. The rotary cube mould system is run on Krauss Maffei CXW Spin Form Series Injection Moulding machinery. This series combines the proven dual platen technology of the CX and MX series and offers ideal accessibility to the mould and space for the integrated assembly stations. The central positioning of the two opposing injection units allows for hot runner systems with natural balancing and short flow paths. Energy saving servomotors control the movement of reversing the plates in the opening direction and the rotation of the cube mould with absolute position accuracy. The unique system provides energy and space savings and is available in clamp sizes ranging from 1,800 kN to 40,000kN.
Intercad Pty Ltd, the leading supplier of 3D solid modelling products and services across Australia and New Zealand, has acquired fellow 3D CAD specialist Solidtec Solutions. As part of the deal, Solidtec personnel will join Intercad to further increase the level of expertise at the company, which over the past three years has transitioned into a full-service mechanical computer-aided engineering solutions provider. “We will merge the two businesses to support a larger range of services,” said Max Piper, Chief Executive Officer, Intercad Pty Ltd. “Established nearly 25 years ago, Intercad is the longest-standing 3D solid modelling specialist in the region, giving us a depth of industry knowledge that is evidenced in the range of services we offer and the breadth of products we represent.” Solidtec sales personnel will join Intercad as a result of the acquisition. Former Solidtec Chief Executive Officer Shane Preston said the sale will ultimately benefit both organisations – their personnel and the customers. “Manufacturing is facing significant headwinds, but it’s a resilient industry and companies are constantly looking to invest in services that increase productivity in a competitive global market,” said Piper. “Intercad is working on developing partnerships with organisations such as IC3D to further strengthen our ability to offer customers a more complete solution that meets their requirements and maximises their investment in SolidWorks, including products for steel fabrication and simple language translation.”
In the picture: Carl Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of Autodesk (centre) with (left to right) Glenn McMinn, President, Delcam North America; Clive Martell, Chief Executive, Delcam; Steve Hobbs, Development Director, Delcam; and Bart Simpson, Commercial Director, Delcam. Autodesk, Inc. completed its acquisition of Delcam, one of the world’s leading suppliers of advanced computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software, on February 6th. Delcam will operate as a wholly-owned, independently-operated subsidiary of Autodesk, with no significant changes planned for Delcam’s business. Autodesk, Inc.is a world leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and entertainment industries – including the last 18 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects – use Autodesk software to design, visualise and simulate their ideas. From design professionals, engineers and architects in all of the Fortune 100 companies to digital artists, students and hobbyists – Autodesk software is helping people unlock their creativity and solve important challenges. Autodesk has more than 7,300 employees worldwide and is headquartered in San Rafael, California. Headquartered in Birmingham, UK, Delcam’s range of design, manufacturing and inspection software provides automated CADCAM solutions for a variety of industries, ranging from aerospace and automotive to toys and sports equipment. The company has more than 30 offices worldwide and approximately 700 employees. “Autodesk brings to Delcam increased financial strength, unparalleled expertise in design, and a long history of making technology accessible to broad audiences. Through sharing our technology and expertise, this transaction will transform industries and improve how the world is designed and made,” said Delcam’s Chief Executive, Clive Martell. “By maintaining the basic structure of Delcam’s business, Autodesk is reflecting its trust in, and respect for, Delcam’s solutions, leadership and organization. We are excited to come together and further the vision, development and implementation of technology […]
