Company News

Business loans ideal for short term investments in the industrial sector

While banks and other major lending institutions are turning short term investment financing into a drawn-out and useless process, Warbler Enterprise has brought a solution to the construction sector specifically to negate this problem. Apart from providing a turnaround in as little as 48 hours, the company has also eliminated the much hated administration and processing costs that otherwise fill the pockets of lawyers and brokers rather than the coffers of your business. And it is doing this for loan amounts ranging anywhere from $100,000 to $10 million for loan periods of one to six months – time frames which are vital for businesses in the engineering and manufacturing sectors. Spokesperson for the organisation,Val Pavlovic, says it was the added processing and establishment charges making most short-term finance a near-useless affair and in the end provided no benefit to those in the industrial sector needing short term finance that can be turned around quickly. “Warbler does things very differently,” he said. “We don’t ask the applicant company for many thousands of dollars up front for all manner of admin, brokering and processing fees; our charges are just $495 and that covers our due diligence on their business and valuation on equity.” “There is a set interest rate for the agreed period, so any business that applies knows exactly how much it is going to pay over the course of the short-term business loan. “And because we don’t have these annoying additional fees it makes it absolutely viable for companies that are seeking very short-term loans for up to six months. “While other lenders would expect tens of thousands of dollars in their own pockets above and beyond your interest payments for no valid reason over the short space of time which effectively makes other short-term lending useless.”

Technicians using computer in server room

Is a global trade war getting serious and how will it hurt Australian industry?

Despite what Donald Trump says a global trade war does not produce winners, only losers, with Australia likely to be one of the biggest losers. History tells us that economic growth and prosperity are strongest when trade is flowing, so the US’s imposition of tariffs on imports, and China’s escalating retaliations are particularly worrying. As a price taker of somewhat undifferentiated commodities rather than must-buy value added goods into the global economy we are always hit hard by global recessions. The US industries that are likely to be hit, and hit hard by China’s latest tit for tat tariffs on the US vary from high value aircraft and pharmaceuticals to all the basics of manufacturing such as meat processing. While one might imagine a bit of a lift for Australian wine, say into China, the reality of a trade war will be hard. What will be hit in Australia? Can Australia, and can manufacturers do anything to protect themselves from this looming war? -Peter Roberts

Compressed air expert lays foundation for further growth

BOGE managers look towards the future with optimism (from right to left: Wolf D. Meier-Scheuven, Michael Rommelmann, Gavin Monn, Ricarda Fleer and Thorsten Meier. Future investments, awards and new business models – the Bielefeld-based family-owned company BOGE can look back on a year full of high points. In 2017, the company was in step with its international customers once again with its advanced compressed air solutions. One highlight of the year was the opening of the smart factory at the head office in Bielefeld. Since September 2017, high speed turbo technology has been in series production there. The new “continuous improvement programme” was awarded a prize. This progressively enhances the compressors via ongoing further development in customer deployment. The mechanical engineering company is the first to bring this solution onto the market. Classic maintenance is therefore a thing of the past. BOGE has been synonymous with forward-looking compressed air solutions through intelligent engineering for 110 years. Its anniversary year saw the opening of the smart factory, and the company creating the preconditions to fulfil the high demands of individual customer compressed air solutions even better. In the digitalised factory, people, component and machine communicate with one another to produce the parts for the prizewinning BOGE HST high speed turbo compressor, specifically for the customer and to zero error quality. “Achieving this production line represented a major challenge for us”, says Wolf D. Meier-Scheuven, the managing partner. “Thanks to the advanced production technology we are now in a position to manufacture in many versions and with process reliability. This is innovative and demonstrates our response to the continuously increasing requirements of our customers.” In 2017, BOGE invested more than five per cent of its turnover in research and development; around twice as much as the average invested by companies in the […]

Innovation hub to fast-track Industry 4.0

An innovation hub to help Australian companies make the shift from traditional manufacturing to more advanced, value-added products has opened in Adelaide. The Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation hub in Adelaide is designed to accelerate the national adoption of ‘industry 4.0’ technology among hi-tech and manufacturing businesses, as well as foster research and development. The hub’s February 9 launch in the South Australian capital comes at a time when the nation’s economy is transitioning from a traditional manufacturing base to more digitalised, knowledge-based industries following the closure of Holden’s Adelaide plant late last year, which brought an end to automotive manufacturing in Australia. Professor John Spoehr, Director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute at Flinders University, said the adoption of new age digital technology was crucial due to the highly competitive environment of manufacturing internationally. “Without the automotive industries we need new sectors and new industries that will be at the forefront in the uptake of new technologies,” he said. Professor Spoehr said the hub would enable closer collaboration between educational organisations and businesses to better understand digital technology in new age manufacturing and its impact on the performance of companies and workers. The term ‘industry 4.0’ refers to the growing trend of automation and the use of the Internet of Things, Cloud computing and cyber-physical systems in advanced manufacturing. Situated on the ground floor of the Flinders University building at Tonsley, one of the key facilities at the Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation hub is the modular Future Factory. Made in Germany by technology giant Festo and funded by the South Australian Government, it showcases the latest automation, sensor, monitoring, robotic and cobotic technologies and is one of only a few Future Factories in the Southern Hemisphere. Professor Spoehr said the platform was modularised and could be reconfigured in a variety of ways. “It’s a great education […]

Lapp launches in Australia

One of the world’s leading providers of branded cable and connector systems and integrated electrical and automation engineering solutions, Lapp, is establishing a fully-fledged subsidiary in Australia. Lapp Australia – headquartered at Eastern Creek, Sydney – will meet demand nationally for technologies used in future-focussed areas of industry, such as automation, robotics, energy management, data distribution and intelligent manufacturing, buildings, infrastructure and process engineering. Lapp Australia General Manager Simon Pullinger says the new facility – to open on February 1 – will bring new levels of service and choice to the Australian market, offering strong inventory of over 1,000 product lines onshore as well as direct access to more than 40,000 standard items from Lapp’s global ranges. Lapp Australia will work in close co-operation with its established key local Lapp distribution partner in Australia, Treotham Automation, which brings market-leading local expertise to its specialised markets. Lapp Australia will also extend its strong association with ECS New Zealand, a family-owned business, like Lapp, which has been a Lapp distributor for more than 30 years. ECS Investments is a 50 per cent shareholder in the new Lapp Australia business, with the other 50 per cent owned by Lapp Holding Asia. The existing online Lapp Express website, meanwhile, will continue to expand in both countries, complementing the new strengths delivered by Lapp Australia. Mr Pullinger says Lapp’s investment in a new full subsidiary in Australia is a strong vote of confidence in local industry as it increasingly moves into the global industrial automation market, which is forecast to grow to an annual worth of $US 350 billion ($A460 billion) by 2024. The new Eastern Creek facility provides a strong base for engineering, technical and product support staff, operating in a technology and distribution environment modelled on Lapp’s global facilities supplying more than 100 […]

Rio Tinto’s vision of ‘mining as manufacturing’ comes a step closer

What is manufacturing? It could be said to be a series of discrete often automated operations, co-ordinated and linked by sensors and data, to create an efficient and seamless production and logistics process from raw material to product. Rio has for many years been pursuing a vision of mining as just such a thing – a factory if you like, just a very de-centralised one. Thus drill hole creation at its Pilbara mines are an automated process, the drilling begun or ‘pulled’ through the system by the requirements of specific ships approaching Port Hedlend to pick up blended iron ores for individual customers. Just as cars are built for specific customers, ore is only mined when sold. The company has been automating key elements of the iron ore production chain – automated mine trucks, ore crushers, ore blenders, ship loaders etc…..and now the company has run its first driverless train. (see story) All this is controlled from a single centre located from Perth. Ultimately the company sees its Port Hedland operation working like a well oiled Toyota factory – a series of standardised operations, linked by logistics, centrally controlled and making only product that customers have already bought. An exciting concept – maybe our definitions are more out of date than we think.

Austal continues its success selling ships to the US Navy

Perth ship builder Austal has continued its often underappreciated success building ships for the US Navy – it operates what is now America’s fifth biggest shipyard. It has received its 15th order – the second this year – for a $750 million littoral combat ship (LCS) to be built at its Alabama shipyard. Significant parts of the ship are built at Austal Perth for incorporation into the ships. The 127 metre long three hulled vessel was originally modelled on its successful passenger ferries, but has now evolved such that it is a contender for even larger orders to meet America’s future frigate needs. The LCS was originally conceived as a multi-role vessel, with removable modules to suit different needs such as mine laying. The ship is now being given anti-ship missile and other offensive capabilities. Austal also supplies a second vessel for the USN – the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), a twin hulled transport vessel. Austal’s continuous production techniques, modular construction and efficiency set it in good stead to win the $3 billion Offshore Patrol Vessel contract for the Royal Australian Navy. A great example of an Australian multi-national designer and manufacturer – it also builds ships in the Philippines.

Luxury watchmaker secures ceramic manufacturing deal

Lightweight ceramic components for luxury watches will be manufactured in South Australia under a new agreement. -Stephanie Richards, The Lead South Australia Bausele CEO and founder Christophe Hoppe. Australian watchmaker Bausele has strengthened its ties with Flinders University to form a Bauselite ceramics supply and manufacturing company in South Australia’s capital Adelaide. Australian Advanced Manufacturing was launched last week and will continue to produce Bauselite componentry for luxury watches. The components will be made at Flinders University campuses in Adelaide, more than 15,000km from Switzerland where the majority of luxury watch componentry is made. Bauselite is a very strong, very light ceramic material developed by Dr Jonathan Campbell and colleagues from the Flinders Centre for NanoScale Science & Technology. It was used to create Bausele’s Terra Australis watch, released in 2015, which became the first watch from Australia to be accepted for showing at Baselworld, the world’s largest watch and jewellery trade fair. “The new material and method of production solved a number of issues specific to using ceramics in watches,” Dr Campbell said. “It’s a significant accomplishment that watch components are being produced here, signalling a major step forward and a powerful statement about Flinders’ delivery of elite engineering.” Bausele CEO Christophe Hoppe said Australian Advanced Manufacturing aimed to expand its production of high quality watch components. “Controlling manufacturing is really important and it can be both difficult and costly but with Australian Advanced Manufacturing I think there’s a real opportunity to make key components here in Australia,” he said. “Having the company will give us the flexibility, the freedom and the control – I think it will just make everything work better.” The Bausele Terra Australis watch design has been heralded as the first world-class timepiece ever made from parts designed and crafted in Australia. A five-pronged diamond clasp to secure the watch face is […]

Precision’s journey from car part maker gathers steam

-Peter Roberts I was lucky enough to visit Precision Components in Adelaide several years ago just as they were wrestling with the looming closure of auto assembly. Precision had a collection of metal stamping presses, often pretty old units bought from Holden and given basic automation functions, producing metal parts and complex sub-assemblies. Like all components suppliers the discipline was ‘cost-down’ delivering 5% cost reductions per year over the generally seven year life of its contracts with the assemblers. As such it was extremely lean, and totally tuned to its final customer. The company had invested in new laser cutting and hot metal pressing equipment, but it still needed to find products of its own or new customers that would give it a future. Ideas such as pre-fabricated metal buildings and furniture were considered, in fact every permutation of metal product standard and emerging was looked at. Precision seems to have found more than a niche in centralised solar voltaic power – where heliostats reflect and concentrate sunlight onto a receiver on tower, generating steam. There are numerous manufactured products involved. Now it is able to participate in solar R&D, establishing a research field with UniSA. Precision Components’ Director Mat Fitch described the project as ‘an important milestone’ for the company, which has been gradually moving away from its core car parts business to limit the impact of the car industry downturn. “This is another significant step in the diversification strategy we implemented to safeguard the future of the business and to create employment opportunities for South Australians,” Mr Fitch said. I wondered at the time whether Precision would make it, but am delighted to see their resilience, determination and willingness to innovate pay off in such a way. Congratulations Precision!

ANCA taking nominations for apprenticeship program

Australian machine tool manufacturer ANCA is putting the word out about its apprenticeship program. If you know of any bright young folks with a passion for mechanical/electrical engineering, pass this on to them. ANCA is a long established manufacturer of CNC Precision Grinding Machines that is recognized globally for its world class products and technologies. Its products are sold worldwide and is synonymous with innovation, engineering excellence, quality and pride. Stuart Gurney, the Apprentice Master said: “ANCA has a proud history of investing in its people to develop a highly skilled and engaged workforce. My apprentices get exposure to CNC machining, precision fitting, electrical testing and grinding applications throughout their four-year program.” “My passion is supporting the next generation of talent to enter the fascinating world of CNC grinding. Far from just being a manufacturing company we sell 99% of our product overseas and compete with German, Swiss, Japanese and US competitors successfully. We are honestly an Australian manufacturing success story. “It is very rewarding to see how much my team develops over the four years to graduate with a fantastic career ahead of them,” Stuart concluded.’

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