Manufacturing Technology

Surge bin structural bearings protect against production downtime and safety hazards

An old structural bearing that has failed in service. Hercules Engineering’s custom long-life structural bearings provide a more durable solution to prevent failures like this. Corrosion and deterioration of worn or poorly designed sliding bearings used in minerals processing and materials handling production lines can cost downtime and maintenance where these unprotected components suffer reduced lifespans or failure in aggressive production environments or extreme natural conditions. Instead of protecting the support structures of containers such as surge bins – by absorbing movement from heat expansion, changing load and impact as raw material is transferred to crushers – defective bearings can ultimately lock up and transfer distortions, strain and cracking into the support structures, interrupting production and creating a safety hazard. “Sometimes the problem is gradual moisture or production material ingress into the bearings, which can cause abrasive damage to the sliding components and corrosion of mild steel plates. Other times deterioration can be contributed to by aggressive environments and extreme weather acting over time to weather exposed joints,” says bearing specialist Mr David Booty, Manager, Hercules Engineering (a division of Cut To Size Plastics). Hercules Engineering recently provided a no-maintenance solution to such issues by producing a Herculon Type D Free Floating (HLD-FF) bearing custom-engineered to optimise the lifespan of such bearings used beneath surge bins. Custom-fabricated Hercules HLD-FF (Free float) composite slip joint engineered for outstanding durability and lifespan in aggressive mining and materials handling applications. HLD-FF components shown in 3D schematic, as per description below. The customisable HLD-FF bearing is fabricated from a sandwich of Herculfon, Hercupad and stainless steel plate, all contained between mild steel top and bottom plates. The smooth, inherently corrosion-protected stainless surface slides against a Hercuflon (Teflon-type) material atop a coated, fabric-reinforced, natural rubber Hercupad. Hercupad material accommodates in-plane rotations and provides shock absorbing properties. It […]

IVECO to preview Euro6 ACCO at TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show

Attendees at this month’s TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show will get a first look at IVECO’s all new Euro6 ACCO model, which will be previewed at the event prior to its launch in the coming months. The new range – of which several models are currently undertaking real-world trials with selected customers in New Zealand – features the latest in Euro6-rated engines as well as industry-leading safety features and driver appointments. Manufactured at IVECO’s Melbourne production facility and sharing their basic architecture with the soon-to-be-launched X-Way, the new model also ACCO retains some of the best features of the previous generation trucks, which made it a favourite for tough vocational applications. Available in 6×4 and 8×4 configurations, the vehicles will be equipped with IVECO front axles, tapered two-leaf parabolic suspension and rear IVECO 8 bag Electronically Controlled Air Suspension (8×4 models also receive front Electronically Controlled Air Suspension), with Meritor tandem drive axles featuring Active Traction Control and driver controlled diff locks. For refuse collection applications, IVECO will continue to offer a factory dual control system, and has consulted extensively with the waste industry to develop a variety of body mounting and chassis layout options to suit a variety of bodies. The model is also available with a Parker Chelsea PTO, a favourite for waste collection work. The latest ACCO will feature SCR Euro6, Cursor 9 engines with between 310 and 360hp and 1300 and 1650 Nm of torque, with emission control handled via IVECO’s Hi-eSCR system. The engines will be matched to the Allison Generation Five 3200 Series, 6-speed full automatic transmission. Aside from the adoption of cleaner, more efficient Euro6-rated Cursor engines, the new ACCO range has also made significant gains in the area of safety, which will position the model as one of the safest available. Included […]

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Road freight industry set for disruption with launch of Loadsmile

Full steam ahead for start-up striving to tackle issues crippling one of Australia’s oldest industries Sydney:In a move set to disrupt the Australian road freight industry, Sydney-based start-up Loadsmile has launched its technology platform designed to empower the long tail of struggling small to medium-sized carriers. Loadsmile CEO and Co-Founder Geoffroy Henry said the sector is riddled with inefficiencies, most of which are addressable through technology. “Today’s road freight industry is incredibly wasteful ― millions of empty kilometres are being driven, trucks are underutilised, and overheads have increased. Currently, 30% of trucks in Australia are running with empty loads, and even when a truck has a load, it is rarely entirely full,” Henry said. “What’s more, we have spoken to hundreds of small and medium carriers who have said their drivers and trucks on average spend 2.8 days per five-day week (40%) without work2, and almost one-third (30%) of the costs they spend on resources are going to overheads not directly related to the truck or driver2. “This is due to an imbalance of power in the market, which is placing even more pressure on the small to medium trucking companies that are already chasing their tails to compete with the larger players.” In order to address the significant issue of wastage in the industry, Loadsmile’s digital platform live matches quality shippers with vetted and reliable carriers ― reducing empty miles and idle time for small to medium businesses and ultimately providing better service at a lower price. Funded by global incubator and investor Rocket Internet, this tech start-up has already secured interest from one of Australia’s largest shippers — BeCool, the last mile logistics arm of HelloFresh, will use Loadsmile’s services from day one. Loadsmile has on boarded more than 100 carriers already, providing access to thousands of trucks. […]

Historic French city gets a 3D makeover from Australia

Groundbreaking 3D modelling of an old French city and its historic castle is attracting European interest in the South Australian aerial mapping business commissioned for the job. The city of Pau in southern France launched an international search last year before choosing Adelaide-based Aerometrex Limited to partner with its local company IGO SAS to complete the work. The landmark modelling project has now been unveiled for the city known for its art and history – with the model produced at a resolution approaching a few millimetres per pixel. “This project illustrates the global reach of our 3D modelling service as well as the degree of 3D technical excellence that now exists in the company,” Aerometrex’s managing director Mark Deuter said. “The 3D model of the city of Pau has set a standard that will attract the attention of every other municipality in Europe. “We intend to capitalise on this exposure by working closely with our sales channel partners in Europe and the USA in 2020.” Adelaide-based Aerometrex implemented the science of massive multi-ray photogrammetry for the job, this involved the geometric reconstruction of more than 100,000 2D images taken from helicopter, drone and on foot. Now users can get a new visual experience of Pau, the birth city of King Henry IV and one of the regular venues for the Tour de France cycling race. “The combination of very high-resolution shots and the surface treatment make it a first on a European scale,” Marc Serraf, Director of AEC Informatique, the company in charge of project management assistance, said. It also now gives planners in the French city the ability to deliver architects or engineers a better understanding of the position of buildings in Pau before construction firms can also deposit digital sketches within the framework of building permits. The mapping […]

The case of the missing microns

With 85% of Australia’s population living within 50km of the coast, sand and fine grit are ever-present problems in municipal and industrial water and wastewater systems. At the Ozwater’20 exhibition Stand N04 (to run from 5-7th May in Adelaide), local wastewater and screening authority CST Wastewater Solutions will be showcasing the latest advances in fine screening, grit removal and clarifier technologies, including globally proven Smith & Loveless technologies, for which it is Australian distributor. According to Smith & Loveless, as much as 40-80% of the grit contained in municipal wastewater is in the 105-200 micron size range, but most grit removal systems are designed to remove grit in the 200-300 micron range. “This discrepancy has meant that grit removal systems have been stuck in the 20th Century, but Smith & Loveless has new, superior technology to advance grit removal and improve local wastewater systems,” says Mr Michael Bambridge, Managing Director of CST Wastewater Solutions. Bringing grit removal into the 21st Century Smith & Loveless’ latest PISTA® VIO™ system removes 95% of grit down to 105 microns, and features full variability of the inlet and outlet channels. This technology – which CST will be displaying at Ozwater’20 – features a hydraulic vortex grit chamber design that utilises a new baffle system. This type of grit removal system – one of the first of its kind in the industry – provides the ability to design the inlet and outlet channels at any variable angle up to the full 360° of the chamber. Designers can arrange the system to fit existing sites, or maximise space during construction on new sites. The choice is clear for clarifier technology In addition to grit removal, CST will also be displaying its range of Smith & Loveless clarifier technologies at Ozwate’20, including centre feed clarifiers, peripheral feed […]

Defence companies vie for slice of $35 billion Australian frigate pie

Detailed planning for Australia’s Hunter Class Frigate Program is well underway as local companies vie for a slice of the $35 billion project. Nine anti-submarine warfare frigates will be built by ASC Shipbuilding at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia in what is being described as the largest surface ship project in Australia’s defence history. Construction of the first test blocks for the project will begin towards the end of this year with defence companies now being short-listed to carry out part of the work. Among them is Adelaide defence company AFL services, which has been down-selected for lucrative blast and paint work. AFL services was one of four Australian companies recently invited to tour global defence company BAE Systems’ world-class shipyards in Scotland to inspect painting processes used on the Type 26 Global Combat Ship. This is the reference ship design for Hunter class. “AFL Services has a proud history of working on defence projects, from land vehicles with BAE/Tenix toll defence, and components for Navantia to the Collins Class submarines,” General manager Adam Levi said. AFL Services now has more than 60 staff and winning a slice of the Frigate work would boost projections. ASC Shipbuilding won the head contract to provide the design and build framework of the nine anti-submarine warfare frigates that will be replacing the nation’s eight Anzac Class frigates. ASC Shipbuilding has become a subsidiary of BAE Systems throughout the build process before ownership is returned to the Commonwealth at the completion of the project. The two-year first building of five test blocks at the world-class digital shipyard in Osborne, Adelaide, is beginning in December this year with building of the first frigate expected to commence in 2022. “We appreciate that BAE System is embracing Australian industry content and helping small businesses reach their […]

Voumard 1000 new standard for ID grinding in manufacturing

Hardinge has introduced the Voumard 1000 Universal CNC Internal grinding (IG) machine. The machine offers a high-performance, economical grinder for the widest range of universal internal grinding requirements to obtain fine surface finishes and tight tolerances. The Voumard 1000 is a new standard in ID grinding, providing customers with the ultimate combination of precision, performance in an affordable machine designed to optimise production costs when manufacturing high-precision parts for industries ranging from aerospace to medical. For over 80 years, the Voumard brand has been a global leader in innovative ID/OD grinding with almost 10,000 installed internal grinding machines around the world. Typical applications are grinding operations on parts for hydraulic components, spindles, bearings, or gears as example. Customers can now get the following benefits and features: Innovative Hydrolin hydrostatic guideways provide the highest smallest diameters to enhance productivity. A unique design that does not have coupling joints to perform without any backlash, offers superior positioning accuracy-less corrections, as well as optimised thermodynamics in its direct drive linear motor system for better cooling management. Unique, compact hydrostatic spindle turret configuration for ideal accessibility and larger spectrum of parts. The new system offers a hydrostatic B-axis, with benchmarking positioning repeatability. Advantages in high precision also in non-round grinding and improved accessibility with compact “table turret” collision-free dressing. New compact, ergonomic machine design for better overview during grinding process and accessibility for best in class tool and work piece management. Fanuc 31i control for improved operator access, fast programming and retooling, even for inexperienced operators.

Cheap, lookalike hydraulic cylinders give companies headaches

Global advanced industrial tools and services leader Enerpac says the NZ market is falling victim to cheap, lookalike hydraulic cylinders that are causing significant headaches when they fail in service. Enerpac New Zealand Hydraulic Specialist, Mr Neville Stuart, says that unlike genuine Enerpac branded gear, lookalike cylinders have not been engineered for rugged conditions and optimum durability and are not backed by Enerpac’s nationwide service and warranty commitments. “Everyone is conscious of working within budget limitations, so when a $2,500 cylinder is available for under $500, it looks like a good deal. But what costs are incurred when that cylinder breaks down prematurely?” asks Mr Stuart. “It can be ten times that amount in terms of lost time, and hundreds of times that amount in terms of safety liability if they fail.” “Not only does production grind to a halt, but you now have to seek a replacement part, because there is no warranty or service with lookalike brands,” he says. Enerpac equipment is used in major projects where safety, precision and uptime are critical, in industries such as building, construction, civil and mechanical engineering, electrical utilities, manufacturing, mining and exploration, metal processing, oil and gas and transport maintenance. “At the end of the day it’s a case of ‘cheap comes out expensive’ because when you add up all the bills, a lookalike cylinder ends up causing far more costs, downtime, delays and other problems.” Mr Stuart has been raising awareness of New Zealand’s lookalike cylinder problem for years but says that the lookalike brands are persistent because they know they can make a quick dollar, then disappear before things go wrong. “The lookalike cylinders are usually painted in an almost identical yellow, and catalogues can even use similar part coding systems, but at the end of the day, if […]

How viable is additive manufacturing?

~ The manufacturing and legal issues surrounding additive manufacturing ~ In 1984, Charles Hull invented the first 3D printer, which used stereolithography to build up a plastic product layer by layer. Over 35 years later, additive manufacturing (AM) is drastically altering a range of industries, from manufacturing to the medical sector. But what are the limitations of the technology? H In some applications, component manufacturing is shifting away from traditional subtractive machining methods and towards additive manufacturing techniques. The broadening of the applications of AM is causing manufacturers to assess the viability of using it in their own facilities. To do this, there are a few considerations to make before turning to 3D technology. Quality not quantity When moving from one manufacturing method to another, quality is a huge factor, particularly in highly regulated industries like aerospace and medical devices. In fact, quality has been one of the major hurdles to the widespread adoption of AM. One critical consideration is that quality and consistency must be the same machine to machine, regardless of location. Powder bed fusion is one of the most frequently used additive manufacturing methods and there is a possibility that it may introduce defects. However, if the process has a constant thermal gradient, it can prevent warping of the product, avoiding the introduction of defects due to incorrect temperatures. Another concern is that unsintered powder will degrade as a result of heat exposure and that this could impact quality, although regular changing of the powder can prevent this from becoming an issue. When investing in an AM system, manufacturers can overcome quality concerns by working with an experienced partner, who provides training and support on best practice. Those looking to invest in AM parts produced elsewhere should be mindful of their supplier’s approach to quality, to ensure […]

How 3D printing will transform design and engineering in the future

3D printing is now mainstream within schools and businesses because of its flexibility and ability to unleash users’ creativity. 3D printing offers a fast, inexpensive way to create prototypes, test ideas, and even manufacture components and products for commercial sale or use. This is triggering a change in the way organisations build and design their products. The results include cost reductions and the ability to improve products by applying design thinking principles such as latticing, part consolidation, and light weighting. On top of this, savings in supply-chains, product storage, and waste can be realised. 3D printing is maturing and changing quickly, and so too is the future of engineering and design. For example, the automotive industry can now benefit from much shorter lead times when using 3D printing, which allows for much faster development and testing of components. As 3D printing technology evolves, and new materials are developed, products that were previously not viable to print because of size, accuracy and material constraints become feasible. There has been a huge surge across the industry recently towards end-use parts. 3D printing’s ability to manufacture and combine parts has become more effective and is increasingly being integrated into an augmented manufacturing process. For example, dentistry companies can embed 3D printing into manufacturing process to create digitally engineered moulds for patients. 3D printing has made this process much more cost effective. Eric Holtsmark, general manager – strategy, transformation and technology, Konica Minolta Australia, said, “The future of product development can also be aided by 3D printing. The design of consumer goods such as electronics depends heavily on current market needs. As these needs change, 3D printing not only offers manufacturers a way to adapt quickly by shortening the design stage, but also the ability to produce cost-effective short production runs to test the […]

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