January 2017

January 2017

Three quarters of Australian manufacturers plan to invest in automation

Robotics most popular type of automation chosen for future investment among Australian manufacturers Universal Robots, the Danish pioneer of human-robot collaboration, has released the results of a survey, which canvassed the views of members of various online groups dedicated to communicating with the Australian manufacturing community. These groups include; the Australian Manufacturers Forum, the Australian Furniture Association Industry Forum, the First 500 group of SME business owners, the Australian Advanced Manufacturing Council and The AiG Australian Manufacturing LinkedIn group. The results showed three quarters of respondents were looking to invest in automation in the future, suggesting an increasing focus on innovation within the Australian manufacturing industry, backed by continued growth[1] and business confidence. Amongst those respondents looking to invest in automation, an overwhelming majority (57 per cent) plan to invest in robotic solutions in the future, while 36 per cent plan to invest in automation via materials handling. A quarter of respondents plan to spend on Internet of Things solutions, while just over one fifth will invest in on logistics. Universal Robots’ results reinforce recent research from Telsyte, which found that one in three organisations intend to use robotics and 25 per cent of large organisations are already using Robotic Process Automation[2]. According to the findings, the top reasons for Australian manufacturers to automate processes include; improving business efficiency, reducing production time, improving quality, reducing staff costs and freeing up staff to work on value add tasks, as well as to satisfy growing orders. “In the face of high local labour costs and the need to drive efficiencies, automating processes is now considered essential in order to compete both on a regional and international level,” said Shermine Gotfredsen, General Manager, Universal Robots, Southeast Asia & Oceania. While the vast majority of Australian manufacturers are confident in their business growth and […]

Comfort leads to efficiency with new reach stacker

The Port of Södertälje’s brand-new Konecranes reach stacker is having an impact on operator efficiency. The new reach stacker (model SMV 4531 TC5), which is widely available throughout Australasia, benefits from a unique cab design, making for greater operator comfort leading to more efficient cargo handling. Bertil Jansson, supervisor at Port of Södertälje, Sweden, says, “We discussed in-depth what we wanted and what was important. We realised that the ergonomics of the cabin, the workspace itself, was a very important aspect. We test drove a number different brands but the experience of driving the Konecranes reach stacker was the best. “When sitting in the cab, and operating the machine for a full day, the Konecranes reach stacker came out on top because of the greater visibility, the design of the joystick and so on. It’s very popular with us.” In order to lift the variety of building project cargo that comes through the port – everything from concrete and walls to complete housing modules – the reach stacker is equipped with extra lifting loops on the spreader, and a power pile slope that allows the yoke to tilt and compensates for an oblique load. The new machine is also equipped with a hydraulic sliding cabin that improves visibility even more. The Port of Södertälje has also chosen to have the remote monitoring system TRUCONNECT® Premium installed together with the newly released Konecranes Weighing System. The Port of Södertälje already has a number of Konecranes lift trucks.