Smart Manufacturing

Labor’s climate policy: a decent menu, but missing the main course

Bill Shorten and his colleagues are offering a broad suite of policies, but little explicit mention of cutting out fossil fuels. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas. Nicky Ison, Research Associate, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney. The federal Labor Party this week released the details of its keenly awaited climate policy package. With a commitment to cutting climate pollution by 45% on 2005 levels by 2030, compared with the Coalition’s 26-28% target, there was never a doubt that Labor’s policy agenda was going to be more ambitious than the government’s. But what exactly does it include, how does it stack up against the scientific imperatives, and what’s missing? By offering a broad platform, Labor has moved away from a single economy-wide policy solution to climate change, such as a carbon price or emissions trading scheme. Instead, it has opted for a sector-by-sector approach. This is smart politics and policy. By developing a climate plan for each major sector – industry, electricity, transport, and agriculture and land – it is possible to modernise each sector in a bespoke way, thus driving more innovation and job creation while also cutting carbon pollution. Emily Nunell/Michael Hopkin/The Conversation Industry Labor has taken the politically safe option of expanding the Coalition’s “safeguard mechanism” to lower industrial greenhouse emissions. Under this scheme, big emitters are required to keep their emissions below a prescribed “baseline” level, or to buy offsets if they exceed it. Labor has lowered the threshold for the scheme, meaning it will now cover all businesses that emit more than 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year (the cutoff is currently 100,000 tonnes). From there, all of these companies will have to lower their emissions by 45% by 2030 on 2005 levels. Some details are still to be determined, including the precise trajectories of emissions reductions, […]

Bad news. Closing coal-fired power stations costs jobs. We need to prepare

Australia’s electricity sector has begun to transition away from coal, with coal’s contribution to our electricity mix falling from around four-fifths 13 years ago to around three-fifths today. Twelve coal-fired power stations closed between 2012 and 2017. There are clear upsides to the transition, among them an ongoing decline in carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector. For local economies, however, the closure of a coal-fired power station can create economic challenges, including higher unemployment. We’ve quantified the effects of 12 closures In a new paper in the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, we use detailed Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4) data to quantify the extent to which local unemployment rates have increased following the closures of twelve coal-fired power stations across Victoria, NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. There are 87 SA4 regions in Australia, each with an average population of around 290,000 people. We found that on average the regional unemployment rate climbs by around 0.7 percentage points after a station closes. The effect remains observable for year or two, although it varies from region to region. Clearly, labour mobility and the creation of new jobs do not fully make up for the impact of such closures. This means there is scope and need for strategies to smooth the labour market transition as we move towards a lower-carbon energy system. What we found A simple look at the data indicates that local unemployment rates tend to rise after closures, both in absolute terms and relative to what is happening at the state level. We find that this effect remains when controlling for the impacts of other key factors, such as macroeconomic shocks and the coal export price. Burke, Best, Jotzo, 2019 Typically the increase in the first year is around 0.7 percentage points – for […]

Raytheon to develop NASAMS for Australia in Adelaide

Raytheon will build its first Australian production facility in Adelaide to enable the system delivery and final assembly of the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System. Andrew Spence Print articleRepublishNotify me Today’s announcement follows Raytheon Australia and KONGSBERG Defence & Aerospace’s NASAMS being selected for the Australian Government’s $A2.5 billion Short Range Ground Based Air Defence program known as LAND19 Phase 7B. NASAMS AMRAAM missile being launched from a High Mobility Launcher mounted on an FMTV. Picture: Courtesy Raytheon Australia. The new Raytheon Australia Centre for Joint Integration will be built in the defence industry precinct of Mawson Lakes in Adelaide with a $A50 million investment from Raytheon and support from the South Australian Government. Australia will become the 10thcountry to use the short-to-medium range air defence system, which has been integrated into the US National Capital Region’s air defence system since 2005 and has also been adopted by Norway, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, Oman, Lithuania and Indonesia. NASAMS is comprised of the Raytheon Sentinel radar, the KONGSBERG Fire Distribution Centre, and the Raytheon Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile. It will replace the Australian Army’s ageing RBS-70 man-portable air defence system. The Australian designed and built Thales Hawkei will be used as the NASAMS launch vehicle. NASAMS will also use advanced radars designed and manufactured by Australian-based CEA Technologies. The Thales Hawkei will be used as a launch system for Australia’s NASAMS. Picture: Thales Group. “NASAMS and Raytheon’s unique EO/IR passive sensor gives Australia one of the most advanced short range ground based defence systems in the world,” Managing Director of Raytheon Australia Michael Ward said. Mawson Lakes, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, is one of Australia’s premier defence tech precincts and is also home to BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Saab Australia. Adelaide is also home the Air […]

AUSTECH 2019 – Spotlight on specialist technologies

Austech has always provided a comprehensive showcase of the latest innovations across every category of advanced manufacturing technology, and that tradition will continue at this year’s show, with two dedicated areas focusing on specialised technologies – the Digitalisation/Industry 4.0 Pavilion, and the Air Technology Pavilion. Having made its debut two years at Austech 2017, the Digitalisation Pavilion will again explore the latest technological developments at the cutting edge of manufacturing today. With the industry entering a new phase of rapid, radical change, often described as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, breakthrough advances in fields such as robotics & automation, interconnected devices and the Internet of Things, big data and Cloud computing are ushering in the era of the smart, connected factory. Amid ever-accelerating rates of technological change, and ever-growing competition, it is vital to not get left behind. The Digitalisation Pavilion will provide a snapshot of how the latest smart technologies are changing the very basis by which products are manufactured today, while offering insight into how these changes can benefit you and your business. Meanwhile the Air Technology Pavilion is a new section of the Austech exhibition, focusing on the latest state-of-the-art compressor equipment and associated air technologies. Encompassing compression technologies, air treatment and filtration systems, vacuum pumps and piping, as well as software applications and support services, the Air Technology Pavilion will offer a far-reaching showcase of a technology category that is vital to so many modern manufacturing businesses. “At Austech we’ve always strived to ensure we cover the entire spectrum of manufacturing technologies,” says Kim Banks, AMTIL’s Events Manager. “And we believe that grouping specific categories in dedicated areas is very helpful both to the exhibitors and to visitors at the show. The Digitilisation Pavilion was a great success two years ago, and we’ve always hoped to be […]

Coopers malting plant named world’s best

Coopers Brewery’s new malting plant in Adelaide has been named equal best in the world at an international award presentation in Poland overnight. Andrew Spence A jury consisting of members of the global brewing supply chain last night named Coopers and The Swaen in the Netherlands as the Maltsters of the Year 2019 at the World Barley, Malt and Beer Conference held at the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw. The joint winners took the title ahead of other short-listed malting plants in Germany, Vietnam and India. Coopers opened its 54,000-tonne capacity maltings in November 2017 alongside its Regency Park brewery in the South Australian capital. Of the almost 50,000-tonnes of malt produced at the site this year, Coopers will use about 16,000 tonnes for its own beer and 21,000 tonnes will be exported to Asia. Domestic craft brewers and distillers are predicted to use about 5500 tonnes – more than 10 per cent of annual production. Asian customers include Thai Beverage, which uses Coopers’ pilsner-style malt to brew its Chang beer, Carlsberg in Vietnam and South Korea’s Hite Brewery. Coopers is the largest Australian-owned brewery and made its first beer in 1862. It sold its previous malting plant to Ausbulk in 2002 to help reduce debt from building its Regency Park brewery. The prestigious Global Brewing Supply Awards are conducted every two years to recognise the brewing world’s business innovation and technology leaders. Coopers’ Maltings Manager, Dr Doug Stewart, who accepted the award on Coopers’ behalf, said it was a remarkable result, given that Coopers’ maltings has only been in operation for just over a year. He said the malting plant was technologically advanced and produced malt of exceptional quality. Coopers Brewery Maltings Manager Doug Stewart in the new malting facility. Picture: John Kruger. “The plant includes some unique in-house […]

Weed killing machine moves towards manufacturing milestone

An emerging South Australian company has developed a modular manufacturing system to ramp up commercial production of its flagship product. Andrew Spence Craig Larke with a Seed Terminator on his farm in Corrigan, Western Australia. The Seed Terminator can be retrofitted to new and used headers and pulverises unwanted weed seeds as crops are harvested. The machine uses a multi-stage hammer mill to pulverise weed seeds, spreading the sawdust-like debris behind the header. Tests by the University of Adelaide’s Weed Science Research Group have shown a 96 to 100 per cent kill of rye grass seeds using the machine. Invented in South Australia, it is the fourth year of production for the Seed Terminator following the release of nine pilot units in 2016, a further 23 in 2017 and 50 last year, which have resulted in 121 full field trials on a range of crop types in major grain growing regions in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. Seed Terminator has at least doubled its production every year, beginning with nine units in 2016 and is now working with four manufacturers in South Australia and one in Western Australia to establish a modular manufacturing platform to enable continued growth. The company is also working with two other Adelaide companies on electronics and advanced manufacturing aspects of the process. Inventor and Kangaroo Island farmer Dr Nick Berry, pictured below, founded the company with his uncle Mark Ashenden. Dr Nick Berry with the Seed Terminator attached to a CASE IH header. Seed Terminator is based at Flinders University’s New Venture Institute in the Tonsley Innovation Precinct in Adelaide’s southern suburbs alongside several advanced manufacturing success stories such as SAGE Automation, Micro-X and Siemens. Ashenden said the product, which has undergone design improvements after every season, was now ready for full commercial production. He said it was the […]

Point Pod latest start-up success story

A new innovative product that solves your household power problems has teamed up with Australia and New Zealand’s large distributor just six months after making its market debut. Point Pod finally solves the problem of not having enough power outlets in your kitchen by hiding a pop-up unit beneath your stone or timber bench top. Brisbane builder-turned-entrepreneur, Cameron Singer, developed Point Pod after being frustrated with the limited options on the market. “I developed Point Pod two years ago out of my own frustration of the limited power options available,” says Mr Singer. “After renovating my own house, I was disappointed with what was available to improve access to power for my island bench. There were products online, but they looked so cheap and flimsy in a kitchen we’d spent a lot of money renovating.” With a simple touch, Point Pod’s power points and USB sockets emerge for use. But unlike other power options, it blends seamlessly into your bench top, so it doesn’t comprise your aesthetics. The units are designed for any space where you would use power on a bench top, including the kitchen, bathroom, office and boardroom. After launching in August 2018, Point Pod has today announced its new partnership with Häfele, Australia and New Zealand’s biggest distributor. “I’m excited for Point Pod’s next phase, working alongside Häfele,” Mr Singer says. “Häfele’s commitment to innovation made them the number choice for our distribution partner.” “Häfele brings new innovative products to the market so their customers are always on the cutting edge of what’s available, and we’re excited to be part of it.” “Our distribution agreement gives us access to a larger chunk of the market, but it also means we can focus on manufacturing and developing further products.” Mr Singer says he’s been overwhelmed by the industry’s […]

Hypertherm introduces new consumable kits for XPR cutting systems

Hypertherm, a U.S. based manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, is shipping consumable kits for its XPR X-Definition Plasma systems. These new consumable starter kits are available with or without a torch for mild steel and non-ferrous cutting applications. The kits include a variety of consumables to allow for cutting at different amperages, using all of the gas process types supported by the XPR170 and XPR300 systems. The consumables contain several patent pending technologies to improve consumable life and cut quality. Examples include Cool nozzle and Arc response technology, the latter of which protects consumables from the negative impact of ramp down errors, a regular occurrence in real-life cutting. By reducing the impact of ramp down errors, XPR consumables can last up to three times longer than those on older generation systems. In addition, XPR consumables are designed with ease of use in mind. An EasyConnect feature allows operators to quickly plug the torch lead into the torch connect console without the use of tools, while a patent pending QuickLock electrode delivers easy quarter turn tightening to further reduce setup time. Another new design feature is a quick change torch that enables an operator to rapidly change torches with just one hand. “Whether you are cutting mild steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, these new starter kits will make it easy for XPR customers to get all of the consumables they need in one convenient kit,” said Martin Geheran, product manager for plasma torches and consumables. “We think customers will also enjoy the convenience of the kits that come with a torch as it will give them the option of having a second torch, or even multiple torches, pre-loaded with consumables for even faster change-outs.” Hypertherm designs and manufactures industrial cutting products for use in a variety of industries such […]

MainMan service enhances uptime, safety and maintenance efficiency

Without Konecranes’ efficient cranes and time-saving maintenance programmes, ARC’s business wouldn’t be able to function. Steel reinforcing specialist, Australian Reinforcing Company (ARC), is benefitting from comprehensive, time-saving maintenance programmes and enhanced safety provided by Konecranes’ MainMan Planned Maintenance technology. ARC uses three cranes in its Launceston facility, with lifting capacities from 3t to 6.3t, to move heavy steel products of varying shapes and sizes, including reinforcing bars, reinforcing mesh, pipe cages and a huge range of customised fabrications. ARC’s products are used in industries as diverse as building and construction, infrastructure, civil engineering, energy and water and waste. “Our cranes are essential to our business. Without Konecranes’ efficient and outstanding service, we wouldn’t be able to function,” says ARC Launceston Branch Manager, Ms Wendy Emanuel. “We’ve used Konecranes right from the beginning and it’s not just the maintenance they perform that sets them apart – it’s their staff. The technicians are well-equipped, knowledgeable and polite. Their managers and support staff are easy to talk to and provide valuable feedback after a project has been completed,” she said. With more than 600,000 pieces of lifting equipment under service contract worldwide, Konecranes is the world’s leading crane service organisation. It is constantly introducing new technologies and innovations to improve maintenance efficiency, enhance safety and minimise downtime. MainMan Planned Maintenance Konecranes’ MainMan Planned Maintenance service is designed to provide an in-depth picture of the condition of all cranes and related equipment, as well as routine maintenance work, such as adjusting and lubricating, with the intent of satisfying the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations. This service includes a preventive maintenance inspection, visual checks, routine maintenance, and operational and functional testing of your lifting equipment. Konecranes’ MainMan Planned Maintenance technology is part of its Lifecycle Care Preventative Maintenance Program, which looks at the whole life of the […]

Konecranes adopts Internet of Things technology

Konecranes, specialising in the manufacture and service of cranes and lifting equipment, has implemented Siemens’ digital innovation platform to accelerate its product development process and connect product and performance data together. The company is using MindSphere, the open, cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) operating system, and the Teamcenter portfolio, the world’s most widely used digital lifecycle management software, to leverage the digital twin and reduce the number of physical prototypes, which helps to increase efficiency and decrease product validation time. The Konecranes proof of value is one of the first implementations of IoT to develop a framework that connects and synchronizes the virtual (engineering design, analysis and simulation) and physical (testing and operational reliability) worlds. The product design process is currently based more on an engineer’s experience and generally shared assumptions than measured facts from existing products. These assumptions often lead to non-optimised designs that are over engineered. With an integrated digital twin platform, there is major potential in speeding up the product development process, reducing prototypes, increasing traceability and thus improving quality and reduce development cost. Today design, simulation and prototype testing organisations operate in their own silos, often using out of date processes for their work. At Konecranes, a digital twin was utilised as the communication approach between all three organisations to review data and provide feedback around engineering, simulation and testing intent. Using the Siemens platform for digital innovation, Konecranes has been able to connect the data from all of these organisations to create one 360 degree view of how prototypes are running and performing, and correlating requirements to, real world performance data. A closed-loop digital twin framework using IoT and product lifecycle management (PLM) technologies can lead to faster design issue resolution and shorter prototyping phases by leveraging virtual sensor data in product simulations to provide […]

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