Smart Manufacturing

CX will deliver market success to Australian manufacturers

By Jason du Preez, SVP Asia Pacific, SugarCRM One of the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak has been the acceleration of Australian manufacturers’ digital transformation initiatives. The Federal Government recently committed $750 million towards turbocharging advanced manufacturing, recognising that Australia needs to have more on-shore capabilities. In addition, the Federal Government will invest $44 million in four new artificial intelligence (AI) and digital capability centres, with grants of up to $11 million available for groups that “apply AI in ways that either advance the national manufacturing priorities set out under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative, or the Digital Economy Strategy’s digital growth priorities.” The pandemic has fundamentally changed how we work and live, and has driven accelerated adoption of digital channels such as eCommerce and social commerce, across multiple industries. Australian manufacturers have pivoted their businesses to ride out the challenging environment. Many have responded to rapid change by shortening their supply chain, placing emphasis on just-in-time deliveries, and creating value for their customers. While this started before the pandemic, the trend towards direct-to-consumer selling (D2C) has accelerated and is set to continue. The pandemic has put a universal pressure on the need to maximise convenience and speed. Regardless of where your company operates or manufactures its goods and services, manufacturers that remain frozen with a fragmented, outdated, and incomplete view of their customers will see their competitors accelerate away from them and create an insurmountable gap that can not be closed. Advantages of digital transformation Manufacturers that invest in digital transformation to significantly improve the accuracy and completeness of their customer data will improve customer retention and acquisition and increase revenue share. CRM systems enable manufacturers to intuitively store customer details, such as addresses, telephone numbers, key contacts, purchase history and more. This data can be particularly beneficial to sales […]

RS Components & CRC Industries Australia announce partnership

RS Components are thrilled to announce a brand new partnership with CRC Industries Australia – a renowned manufacturer of high quality aerosol and bulk lubricants. This cooperation is a natural partnership for RS Components, who will now be providing CRC products as a part of its overall offering to engineers and procurement managers in Australia & New Zealand. The brand supplies a wide range of industry grade lubricants, anti-rust products and adhesives for customers in the manufacturing, marine, automotive and electrical industries – amongst others. CRC is a leader in product quality, performance and regulatory compliance which is key when working with clients who operate in the particular fields RS service, and CRC’s product offering has these three attributes in spades. Melanie Mangos, Head of Industrial Sales Trans-Tasman for CRC Industries Australia, says “CRC Australia is proud to be partnering with RS Components and sees great synergies. We have begun developing excellent key stakeholder relationships and are in the process of working on exceeding end user expectations with the team.” CRC’s prestigious history and longevity as a company is only surpassed by the quality of the products and services it provides. In short, CRC’s innovative research and development team continually develops new and improved products to help our clients perform their job faster, easier and safer. “CRC has a great reputation and industry recognition,” says Scott Philbrook, Managing Director RS Components AU/NZ. “It makes perfect sense to provide CRC’s fantastic range of products to our diverse customer base in Australia. We are proud to be working alongside such leading brands and are excited to see what the future holds for both RS and for CRC.” RS is proud to stock over 100 new CRC products in Australia ready for fast delivery.

Testcenter bei Lapp Kabel Stuttgart, U.I. Lapp GmbH, am 23.11.2016 in Stuttgart

Understanding dynamic load- bearing capacity in cable chains

Cable carrier systems with separation bars help to avoid tangling and disruption of power and signal transmission. Choosing the best cable for an industrial application is one of the most critical design decisions of any complex automated system. That said, cable selection is often an afterthought and not given the time or respect it deserves. As the lifeblood of the system, cables and wires are vital to transmitting power and sending control signals and data across wide expanses in a timely and reliable manner. Here we take a look at some of the most important factors to consider when specifying industrial cable. Wires and cables intended for use within cable chains are subject to enormous loads. Especially in highly dynamic applications, several factors should be considered when choosing the right cable – durability, reduced weight, a small minimum bending radius and the ability to fit within tight spaces. Many of today’s automated production environments must meet rigorous productivity benchmarks, often requiring components to handle speeds of 5 m/s and acceleration of 50 m/s2, along very lengthy paths. To meet these demands, every component in the system must be optimised to work together, including the cable, wiring, cable chains and carriers. Knowing the specific application and industrial setting in which the cable chain will be used will help determine the characteristics required in its interior parts—the cables and wires. A good place to start is understanding the physical forces acting on the system. Regarding mechanics, the following loads must be considered: Push and pull loads These forces act in the longitudinal direction of the wire. Static – Vertical forces such as gravity act on stationary cables (ex. fountain submersible pumps). Dynamic – Horizontal forces from acceleration/ deceleration act on the wires within the cable chain. Static and dynamic – Cables moving […]

Airborne virus removal boosts industrial safety

A laboratory-validated air filtration system is being introduced to Australasia to help industry fulfil product purity and OH&S obligations to protect plant workers on-site and customers downstream by helping to neutralise the spread of viral and other airborne health hazards within process, packing, office, logistics, and distribution plants. The US-patented, medical-grade system EnviroKlenz Air System Plus from Clean Stream Technologies has been third-party Intertek laboratory tested to demonstrate its removal of 99.9% of airborne viruses down to 0.025 microns, says Clean Stream Technologies. The system– which kills virus’ multiple times smaller than the Covid-19 virus – is already proven in service in US professional health, food preparation and in consumer environments responding to the Coronavirus pandemic and to other airborne health challenges, including different virus’, bacteria, pathogens, pollution, and seasonal allergens that affect millions of people in Australia and New Zealand. Lab-tested to TGA international standards EnviroKlenz is also 99.9 per cent effective in neutralisation of gram-negative bacteria (E. Coli) and 99.9 per cent effective against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis), according to the testing by Intertek Labs, which is audited/accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 or equivalent Standard. This quality, German-manufactured system is engineered as a major step up from mass-market air purifiers. It is highly effective because it goes much further than standard purifiers by combining medically proven ultraviolet UVC germicidal irradiation with safe and effective earth mineral technology originally developed for the US military and still used today to destroy chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals. The purifier is also highly effective against pollution and smoke intruding from the street or immediate environment. This can deliver a strong message to visitors to your plant and to staff in recognising you are taking active steps to protect them against multiple health hazards. The compact, self-contained, wheeled unit runs quietly, producing […]

If we want more Australian-made jobs, here’s what we need

Jesse Adams Stein, University of Technology, Sydney Labor has promised to make Australia “a country that makes things again”. It has emphasised locally-made transport, NBN infrastructure, apprenticeships and defence-related production. The Coalition has spruiked the federal government’s modern manufacturing strategy. It highlights technology investment and six priority areas (minerals, food, medical, clean energy, defence and space). But despite the seemingly endless announcements, Australian manufacturing remains a problem for the major parties. Whoever wins the federal election will need to do things very differently if they genuinely want to boost local production. Another way forward for manufacturing In the mid-1960s, Australian manufacturing employed around 25% of the working population; it’s now down around 6.4%. Manufacturing’s share of GDP is also in decline, now sitting at around 6%. Jobs continue to drift offshore. Leaving things to the “free market” clearly isn’t working for Australian manufacturing. But patriotic argument we must get back to the “good old days” where everything was supposedly made in Australia is also unrealistic. There is another way: a coordinated and targeted national industry policy that favours long-term planning over a short-term, scattergun approach. Tapping into the global green economy What Australia needs is coordinated national industry policy supporting niche, specialist manufacturing. This policy would drive an ecosystem of industries and sectors geared towards emissions reduction and skills development. It would help Australia take its place in the booming global “green” technology economy. For example, policy cleverly targeting gaps in national and international supply chains could support expansion of renewable energy technology manufacturing. This targeted approach requires manufacturing policy to be developed in step with policy on education, energy, mining, research and development, and emissions reduction. Done right, the international evidence shows tailored support for niche industries can be very successful. Germany, for example, has a coordinated policy emphasising technical skills, generous funding for research and development, and energy sector decarbonisation. This […]

The impact of China’s COVID lockdowns on Australian agriculture

Current strict lockdowns in many major cities in China – as the country tries to eradicate the spread of COVID – are not only affecting its local citizens, but also having flow-on impacts on trading partners, including Australia, according to agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank. Speaking in a recently-recorded podcast, What’s the Impact of China’s Lockdown Wave?, RaboResearch general manager for Australia and New Zealand Stefan Vogel said, in particular, there are four specific impacts of the lockdowns that are set to have increasing ramifications for Australian agribusiness – disruptions to freight logistics, Chinese corn plantings, dairy demand and hog pricing. Freight logistics “The already-stressed global container logistics situation is becoming more complicated due to massive delays around the Shanghai port,” Mr Vogel said. “The dry container index, which tracks average prices paid for the transport of dry bulk materials across more than 20 international routes, increased five-fold through 2021 as a result of COVID lockdowns in different parts of the world. “While the index has since declined and is down 16 per cent since early March and 25 per cent down from the September 2021 highs, it looks likely that the ongoing COVID lockdowns in China will add to continued container logistics issues and keep container freight well above historic levels for 2022 and also likely to remain elevated well into 2023.” Corn plantings Mr Vogel said disruptions to corn plantings in China – the world’s second-largest corn producer and also the world’s primary corn importer – were also raising more concerns in an already extremely-tight global grains markets. “Chinese corn planting faces delays in two key provinces as some farmers are stuck in major cities and are unable to access their fields due to the COVID lockdowns,” he said “We understand the lockdowns have created delays in planting this important feed […]

Henkel Australia powers adhesive sites with 100% renewable energy

Henkel Australia has begun using electricity generated fully from renewable energy sources at its adhesive plants in Seven Hills, New South Wales, and Kilsyth, Victoria. The adhesive plants serve a wide range of industries, such as flexible packaging, engineered wood, food and beverage, steel, paper, mining, and maintenance, repair and overhaul. Thanks to more than 2,000 solar panels on their rooftops and renewable energy contracts, the sites are expected to realise more than 50 percent savings in carbon emissions in 2022, compared to last year. “Globally, Henkel is accelerating its climate actions. In line with this, we have successfully switched to using 100 percent renewable electricity to power our adhesive plants in Australia. In tandem, we are exploring more ways to improve energy efficiency and decarbonise our operations as we progress towards becoming a climate positive company,” said Daniel Rudolph, President of Henkel Australia and New Zealand. To optimise energy consumption and drive energy savings, new boilers, air compressors and scrubbers that come with variable speed drive (VSD) smart controllers are being used. Passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors are also being installed. Henkel is pursuing ambitious goals to make its production processes climate positive by 2030. By 2025, the company aims to reduce the carbon footprint at its sites worldwide by 65 percent compared to the base year 2010. Furthermore, the electricity used is to be generated 100 percent from renewable sources by 2030.

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APPMA Awards of Excellence finalists announced!

Finalists in the Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) Awards of Excellence have been announced. APPMA Chairman Mark Dingley said, “We had a strong response to the awards, expanded to eight categories and reshaped this year around four main points: recognition, celebration, inclusivity and education. The number of submissions shows the value the industry places on this award program.” Awards and finalists are: Australian Machinery Manufacturing Award – SME: recognising Australian-based manufacturing, innovation and success of a product launched into the domestic and/or export market in the past three years. Finalists are: Automation Systems & Controls – Scan Tunnel INOX Australia – Turn-key Food Processing Systems Trimatt Systems – Trimatt Systems – CardLine 7000 Sponsor: SMC Australian Machinery Manufacturing Award – Corporate: recognising Australian-based manufacturing, innovation and success of a product launched into the domestic and/or export market in the past three years. Finalists are: Fibre King – ‘Little Packer’ Casepacker Foodmach Pty Ltd – Foodmach LMES (Line Manufacturing Execution System) Robotic Automation – Robotic Automation MOTOPAL Palletising Gripper Sponsor: SMC Import & Distribution Machinery Award – SME: recognising innovation and success in equipment launched in Australia in the past three years. Finalists are: Packsize – The M1: Global Modular Architecture and Advanced Functionality Pacmatix Pty Ltd – GSP 50s Flow Wrapper Import & Distribution Machinery Award – Corporate: recognising innovation and success in equipment launched in Australia in the past three years. Finalists are: Foodmach Pty Ltd – Mengibar MassFlow Filler-Capper Omni Group – VentX Unico Ventilated Pallet Wrapping Machine Rhima Australia – Rhima RPC washer and automation Packaging Design Innovation Award: recognising design innovation and success as a result of a new idea or modification introduced into a packaging design. Finalists are: GS1 Australia – 2DBarcodes on packaging by GS1: Welcome to the new dimension Heat & Control – Ishida Inspira Series Snack Food Bagmaker Select […]

SYSPRO Cloud ERP gains traction amidst ongoing supply chain disruptions Following from an extensive early adopter program, SYSPRO, a global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software provider, has launched its Cloud ERP deployment option to Australian manufacturers and distributors. Designed to make things possible in key industries, SYSPRO Cloud ERP provides businesses with the agility to meet evolving market demands amidst ongoing supply chain disruptions. SYSPRO Cloud ERP offers manufacturers multiple benefits including the ability to collaborate in real-time, the capacity to adopt best industry practice, the proficiency to customise requirements and reduce IT Infrastructure, resilience and management costs, as well as the ability to future-proof operations. Research shows that the vulnerabilities caused by supply chain disruptions have increased focus on resiliency, transparency and visibility. According to the recent SYSPRO global research survey titled ‘Realigning the links of the disconnected supply chain’, 70 percent of manufacturing and distribution businesses experienced supply chain disruptions over the last few years. Added to those pressures,60 percent of businesses were unable to engage and collaborate with customers and suppliers in real-time. While collaboration and supply chain disruptions have been the biggest areas of impact, only 45 percent of businesses have the systems in place to address these disruptions and effectively collaborate with external suppliers and customers. “Manufacturers have come to realise that in order to overcome supply chain disruptions, their business operations need to consider a different approach to ensure supply-chain resiliency. We are now witnessing a time where manufacturers and distributors are considering the value in the journey towards digital transformation with cloud at the centre of that strategy. With the pandemic, their cautious hesitancy to adopt cloud systems has been largely allayed as they acknowledge that the cloud allows for collaboration, communication and business continuity. “With SYSPRO Cloud ERP, manufacturers and distributors still get the […]

OFS and The 5th Ingredient partner for US and Australian craft beer expansion

Australian manufacturing performance software company, OFS, and US ‘grain-to-glass’ brewery data management company, The 5th Ingredient, have signed a first-of-its-kind craft brewing partnership to help the companies expand in each other’s home markets to help the craft beer industry become more data driven. OFS’s software, which uses sensors to draw real-time data from the packing line to identify and reduce inefficiencies and waste, has become the de facto standard for filling and packing-line efficiency monitoring in Australia. It is already used by around half of Australia’s craft breweries including Stomping Ground and Tribe Breweries. The 5th Ingredient, founded in the craft beer capital of San Diego, has had similar success in the US with its proprietary Beer30 brewery software, which assesses data from the moment raw ingredients are purchased to when the can, bottle or keg is sold. The 5th Ingredient has already deployed its software in more than 10 per cent of the Australian industry, while OFS, having recently launched in the US, has already signed its first three US breweries including Pelican Brewing Company, a leading Oregon-based craft brewery. The brewing software specialists now aim to expand their footprint across both countries’ entire industries, at a rate of 100 breweries a year. The software integration between Beer30 and OFS provides unmatched visibility into yield, covering losses from every step of the brewing and packing process in real time. For example, OFS could capture a series of downtimes on the filler correlating to a CO2 quality issue captured by Beer30, which has affected a portion of the product. If the overall problem is related to raw ingredients, it could also identify the relevant batch and which products were affected, preventing a larger-than-needed product recall. Importantly, both OFS and Beer30 are viable solutions for brewers of all sizes where efficiency […]

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