Smart Manufacturing

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Coal is passé in much of China

Australian coal exports to China plummeted last year. While this is due in part to recent trade tensions between Australia and China, our research suggests coal plant closures are a bigger threat to Australia’s export coal in the long term. China unofficially banned Australian coal in mid-2020. Some 70 ships carrying Australian coal have reportedly been unable to unload in China since October. This is obviously bad news for Australia’s coal exporters. But even if the ban is lifted, there’s no guarantee China will start buying Australian coal again – at least not in huge volumes. China is changing. It’s announced a firm date to reach net-zero emissions, and governments in eastern provinces don’t want polluting coal plants taking up prime real estate. It’s time Australia faced reality, and reconsidered its coal export future. First, the coal ban In May last year, China’s government effectively banned the import of Australian coal, by applying stringent import quotas. As of last month coal exports to China from Newcastle, Australia’s busiest coal exporting port, had ceased. In 2019, Australia exported A$13.7 billion worth of coal to China. This comprised A$9.7 billion in metallurgical coal for steel making and A$4 billion in thermal coal for electricity generation. The latest official Australian data shows these export levels fell dramatically between November 2019 and November 2020. Comparing the two months, metallurgical and thermal coal exports to China were down 85% and 83% respectively. Several Chinese provinces experienced power blackouts in late 2020. China’s state-backed media said the shortages were unrelated to the ban on Australian coal. Instead, they blamed cold weather and the recovery in industrial activity after the pandemic. We dispute this claim. While Australian coal accounts for only about 2% of coal consumption in China, it helps maintain reliable supply for many power stations in China’s southeast coastal provinces. Coal mining in China mostly occurs in the western […]

Mulcahy signs with Epicor to build digital manufacturing platform and turbocharge growth

One of New Zealand’s leading metal manufacturers, has signed a $1 million dollar deal with Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth. The deal will see Epicor deliver a modern end-to-end digital manufacturing platform, allowing Mulcahy to further its digital transformation and be a leading adopter of Industry 4.0 technologies. Mulcahy is one of the country’s largest fabricated metals manufacturing company, partnering with clients in the food and dairy, materials handling, original equipment manufacturing, agriculture, horticulture, and architecture industries. From design to production, Mulcahy partners with product leadership companies helping turn their ideas and intellectual property into a reality, acting as a one-stop manufacturing partner. Innovative technologies from Epicor, which are already helping manufacturers around the world streamline their business processes and break down barriers to growth, will deliver an end-to-end manufacturing platform for Mulcahy to automate its business processes and truly embrace the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution. The solution will provide much greater visibility and traceability – from organisation wide capacity planning and scheduling, job tracking throughout the facility to scheduling machine total productive maintenance (TPM) – helping the organisation gain efficiencies. The Auckland-based, family-owned business, which celebrates 40 years this year, has grown from a small facility with five employees in Gleneden, to a 6,000 square metre plant in Avondale and a team of 140. Ongoing investment in technology is a key part of Mulcahy’s strategy, having invested in state-of-the-art machinery and boosted data capabilities to optimise business operations over the years. However, disparate legacy systems to manage finance, payroll and CAD capabilities developed over the past 20 years are limiting Mulcahy’s ability to gather consolidated data into its SQL database and draw actionable analytics from its connected machinery. With ambitious plans to double […]

AUSPACK 2021 postponed, relocating to Melbourne May 2022

After careful consideration, the APPMA Board has made the difficult decision to postpone AUSPACK 2021 in Sydney, and re-schedule the next event for Melbourne 2022. Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) Chairman Mark Dingley said, “With an event of this scale and significance, the most important factors in our decision were if we held the event in 2021, the uncertainty around protecting the health and safety of our industry community when it comes together, and preserving the experience and value that exhibitors and visitors alike receive from attending an event the calibre of AUSPACK. “This exhibition is known for the depth of products and services on the show floor, and the unique networking opportunities available from the many events held around the show. With the continuing uncertainty around domestic state-border openings, and the very likely reality that international flights will not be allowed until the second half of 2021, we felt we could not deliver this experience to the same high standards as previously. Moving the event to 2022 was, therefore, the right thing to do from the perspective of human health and the financial and marketing value that exhibiting businesses would receive.” Mr Dingley said the APPMA Board did not want to add to the congestion created by other commercially focused exhibitions moving dates from 2020 to mid-2021. “It’s not really ideal for the industry to have a slew of shows held so closely together, and we believe the value to exhibitors and visitors will be vastly reduced. As an industry-based association, the APPMA believes moving AUSPACK to a later ‘quieter’ date provides the best outcome for industry, including the best financial ROI for exhibitors and visitors.” Jon Perry, Event Director with organiser Exhibitions & Trade Fairs, said, “The last edition of AUSPACK in 2019 at the Melbourne […]

Structural bearings deliver extreme low-friction performance to resources projects

Custom-fabricated structural bearings are being introduced by Hercules Engineering for extremely high stress applications in resources projects requiring outstanding load-bearing performance, even in compact or wet spaces in mineral processing applications, power generation, ports loaders and land and marine exploration and structures . The latest Herculon structural bearings are manufactured by integrating H-Glide fibre-reinforced composite pads sliding on 2B finish stainless steel to achieve an exceptionally low sliding coefficient of friction compared with other engineering bearing materials, even under water. Unlike metal bearings that may rust or require continual lubrication and maintenance, the environmentally safe yet hard-wearing H-Glide bearing pads are dry sliding and will not release contaminants into surrounding environments or adjacent processes. H-Glide’s excellent sliding properties (including friction coefficients from 0.05 – 0.1) are invaluable to infrastructure developers, engineers, architects and specifiers because lower coefficients of friction will transfer less stress onto the load-bearing structural components when the bearing does its job of protecting them against surrounding movement. Hercules Engineering and Cut To Size Plastics provide a wealth of experience and application guidance, based on almost 50 years of operation in Australasian and Asia-Pacific regions in applying engineering polymer technology to construction, infrastructure, energy, mining, manufacturing, maritime, oil and gas, food and beverage, safety and water and wastewater applications. Hercules Engineering’s latest example of bearings incorporating H-glide was in an extensive roof which required extreme load-bearing capacity in a confined space, as close as possible to the axis of the load. The same high performance is equally useful in major energy and resources structures, including wharves, platforms and steel structures, where compact bearings must withstand long-term stresses to protect valuable structures with optimum levels of safety for those within or around them. With their incompressible H-Glide sliding layer, these bearings can withstand extreme point pressures of 350-500 megapascals, depending […]

Why choose local manufacturing?

The case for local manufacturing has never been stronger. While some SMEs do, of course, benefit from regular contracts outside of their own back yard, for many the income from local trade is what keeps them afloat. This holds as true for B2B as it does for B2C. In fact, for small and medium sized businesses, choosing local manufacturing options, while perhaps a little more expensive in the short term, brings about many advantages. The case for staying local The Australian manufacturing industry is experiencing its biggest shake-up in decades. After years of languishing in the doldrums, the government has finally put in place many financial incentives and grants to allow SMEs to innovate and expand. The needs of Aussie organisations are somewhat unique. This is in part due to the geographical location, but also because of the proximity and ease of cheap imports from nations, such as China. Local manufacturing can rarely, if ever, compete on price with commodities from outside the country. However, cost alone shouldn’t be the driving factor. Choosing a local manufacturer for your needs comes with multiple advantages: Better understanding between manufacturer and customer: This is crucial to ensure that the product is as you expect. Being local and able to meet up in person and throughout any process is hugely valuable – something that can’t be done if your items are being produced thousands of miles away No shipping or customs barriers: Local companies can usually turnaround orders in a far more timely manner than those that are shipped in from another country/continent The personal touch: Face to face conversations lead to better communication. It also enables easy tracking of orders or chasing up should any issues arise The strict adherence to national and international standards: When it comes to health and safety, it’s […]

Energy Renaissance appoints Dr Bruce Gregory as new Chair

Energy Renaissance, Australia’s first lithium-ion battery manufacturer, announced today that it has appointed Dr Bruce Godfrey as its new Chair. Bruce takes over from Su McCluskey, following her appointment in July 2020 as a Commissioner to the National COVID-19 Commission Advisory Board. Su will continue as a Director of the company. A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, Bruce brings to Energy Renaissance over four decades of experience in business, innovation and technology investment. He has successfully helped advance and commercialise a range of renewable and non-renewable energy technologies and has played a strategic role in promoting the investment readiness of products, companies, innovation policies and programs. His background in working with distributed energy resources technologies, including energy storage, will prepare Energy Renaissance for its next phase of growth and expansion. Mark Chilcote, Managing Director of Energy Renaissance said, “Bruce’s appointment signals a new chapter for Energy Renaissance as we start to build our first battery manufacturing facility in Tomago, NSW and plan for significant growth including export of our superStorage products. The Board is delighted to have Bruce work alongside the Energy Renaissance leadership team.” “Energy Renaissance is taking the lead in Australia’s ambitions to be a battery nation and a trusted partner in the global energy storage industry. I look forward to working with both the Board and entire team as we deliver the company’s strategy and growth, including the completion of our first manufacturing facility in Tomago,” said Dr Godfrey. Bruce is currently Vice-President Diversity of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, a Director of Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre Limited (FBI CRC) and of Science in Australia Gender Equity Limited (SAGE). He is a Member of ARENA’s Advisory Panel and of the ANU’s Energy Change Institute and is Chair of the […]

Coffee shop workers standing at the counter

For a unique shopping world: igus low-cost robot in the design of your choice

Custom design robolink robot arm ensures fast automation and a new shopping experience. From industrial use, robots are increasingly finding their way into the retail trade. There they ensure rapid automation of processes and are also a real eye-catcher. Users place high demands on design and reliability at a cost-effective price. For this reason, igus is now offering its low-cost robot – robolink DP – consisting of high-performance polymers, in custom design. Shopping and ordering online has already become part of everyday life, be it for new trousers, an SLR camera for the holidays or the sushi for dinner. Within a few minutes or the next day, the delivery service or the parcel carrier is at the door with the order – convenient and simple. But the new buying behaviour is increasingly building up competitive pressure on the stationary retail trade. Intelligent automation systems for fast shopping are in demand, in the supermarket as well as in the furniture store. Solutions can be: automatic juice dispensers, bread slicers or self-service cash registers with weighing technology, in which igus motion plastics – such as lubrication-free iglidur plain bearings and maintenance-free drylin linear guides – ensure wear-resistant movements. At the same time, retailers such as fashion houses and restaurants can develop store and design concepts that offer customers a new experience. Robots are a popular tool of choice because they are not only a real eye-catcher, but also a practical automation solution. They can give out prizes from raffles, mix cocktails or even cover a pizza with toppings. So far, expensive fun that is rarely found in Australia. With its igus robolink DP, Treotham now offers a new cost-effective solution, which the customer can design individually. Low-cost robots in the desired outfit Last year, igus presented for the first time its robolink […]

Trial aims to help support more solar

Solar customers in South Australia and Victoria will soon be able to feed more energy into the grid thanks to a new project announced today by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). ARENA has announced $2.09 million in funding to a consortium led by SA Power Networks to trial a new approach to integrating rooftop solar with the grid, using smart inverters. Distributors SA Power Networks and Victorian-based AusNet Services have partnered with industry-leading inverter manufacturers, Fronius, SMA, and SolarEdge, and energy management software company SwitchDin to develop the technical capability needed to offer customers flexible rather than fixed export limits for solar. The $4.84 million project will develop and test end-to-end technical capability to enable flexible export limits for solar PV systems. The capability will be built into Australian products from market-leading inverter manufacturers and will be enabled in many other inverter brands through SwitchDin’s Droplet gateway device. Through a 12 month field trial involving about 600 customers in South Australia and Victoria, the project will test the viability of this kind of connection arrangement, and refine and develop the associated technologies and customer connection service to the point where it could be offered as a standard service to all customers installing solar. Australians are currently installing new PV systems at a rate of more than 200,000 per annum across the NEM. These systems provide many benefits but also present challenges for distribution networks in maintaining safety, quality and security of supply. Distribution networks such as South Australia’s are reaching the limit of their capacity to host rooftop solar in some areas without major investment in network upgrades. Alternatively, they may have to impose zero or very low export limits for new solar connections in congested areas. “We want more solar, not less,” said Paul Roberts, […]

Measured IR changes will stimulate investment, jobs

The industrial relations amendment bill introduced by the Morrison Government today contains measured, incremental improvements to Australia’s employment laws that will encourage businesses to invest and create jobs in the post-Covid-19 economic environment. Australian Resources and Energy Group CEO, Steve Knott AM, said key areas of the IR reform bill address longstanding concerns and priority reforms for mining, oil and gas, and service sector employers. “Improvements to enterprise bargaining, greenfields agreements and certainty around casual employment, are areas of huge value to Australia’s resources and energy employers,” Mr Knott said. “While the enterprise bargaining changes are modest and mostly administrative in nature, they do address a number of process issues that have led to significant delays and frustrations in getting enterprise agreements approved within a reasonable timeframe. “Allowing greenfields agreements for major resources and energy projects to run for up to eight years to match their typically longer construction timeframes, is a common-sense reform that will help Australia secure the enormous national opportunities within its major project investment pipeline. “It is pleasing the government has acted on the advice of senior executives from AMMA member companies, who stepped forward to highlight the significance this relatively simple change will have on influencing final investment decisions for multi-billion-dollar, nation-building projects. “The government has also struck an appropriate balance with its proposals for casual employment. Casual employees will have new rights to convert to permanency after 12 months with an employer, whilst businesses will be protected from ‘double dipping’ backpay claims which, if left unaddressed, would leave up to $39 billion in contingent liability looming over the economy. “Collectively these measures will reduce employment-related red tape and risk for resources and energy employers, which have been the lifeblood of the national economy and labour market during an extraordinarily difficult year for all Australians.” […]

Local research collaboration cuts wear and tear on mineral processing equipment

In a new $2.4 million research partnership between the University of South Australia, LaserBond, and the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), experts are set to develop some of the world’s most resilient minerals processing equipment. LaserBond, a pioneering Australian surface engineering company and the University of South Australia’s specialist Coatings Research Group at the Future Industries Institute, continue their fruitful collaboration on a new challenge. Minerals processing machinery, often worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, endures some of the harshest possible conditions – erosion, corrosion and wear and tear induced by repetitive impact. A key competitive advantage for the industry and for manufacturers would be to increase the longevity of mineral processing equipment through composite coatings (called cladding). The improved cladding needs to match facility maintenance shutdown schedules. By matching the machinery life to service schedules, unforeseen shutdowns can be avoided or minimised. Shutdowns for repairs and maintenance of the equipment can cost more than $100,000 for every hour of downtime. UniSA lead researcher Professor Peter Murphy, says he welcomes the chance to grow the advanced manufacturing sector within Australia. “This comes at a time where we need to nurture our manufacturing capability and this project has the capacity to grow, employ and lead Australia through the challenging economic times,” Prof Murphy says. Key researcher on the project, UniSA’s Industry Associate Professor Colin Hall says industry experts in surface engineering, such as LaserBond, have long recognised the challenge and have specialised in the development of hard, wear-resistant coatings using laser cladding. “What we hope to do through this partnership is work with LaserBond to refine the technology, specifically focussing on key areas within mineral processing machinery prone to wear in different circumstances, to provide tailor-made coatings that resist that degradation,” Assoc […]

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