Future of Manufacturing

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 […]

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 […]

Inductive sensors now in compact D3 and M4 housing

Treotham’s range of Wenglor inductive sensors with increased switching distances features enhanced performance in miniature design: A total of eight new sensors from the I03 and I04 series in the compact D3 and M4 housing for detecting metallic objects in confined systems. Practically no larger than a pin head, the robust sensors in V2A stainless steel housing demonstrate their strengths exactly where space is most limited. The I03 series sensors have a diameter of just 3 mm (D3) and a smooth housing, while the I04 series has an external thread with a total diameter of 4 mm (M4). With both series, the housing is just 22 mm long. The almost invisible miniature sensors detect precise switching signals in places where virtually no installation space is available. Increased switching distances of up to 1 mm, a robust PUR cable connection (two meters), a high IP67 degree of protection and a broad temperature range between –25°C and +70°C ensure high performance and long service life. Thanks to flush mounting, the sensors can be integrated mechanically protected in systems. The optional PNP/NPN and NO/NC variants also enable convenient handling with existing systems. Thanks to the LED adjustment aid, the sensors can also be easily installed. The bright LED shows the status clearly, even over long distances. Eight new products expand the entire portfolio The introduction of the I03 and I04 Wenglor series expands Treotham’s product portfolio for increased switching distances by eight new sensors (four per design). In total, there are now sensors in nine different formats in this range, with five connection types and in 15 different housing lengths. With this wide range of products there is a suitable solution for every special requirement. Thanks to the new types, solutions are now also available in areas with very little space, where a […]

Biarri EMI expands and rebrands as CRU Software

Despite continued global hurdles Cru Softwares has seen a 38% growth in clients; launched a number of great product features, and a Mobile Worker App – designed with the user in mind. “I’ve seen our employees band together, working tirelessly to take on new challenges and continue to be the backbone of our organisation. Even though life continues to be unpredictable, our team has adapted, improvised when necessary, and helped bring stability and growth to the businesses that rely on us.” “Throughout it all, our priority has always been to deliver on our commitments to all our clients who have counted on us. And as we prepare to expand our services catering for an even broader market, I’m proud to share news of a new chapter for our company with a new brand. “The rebrand and expanded software offering is an important milestone for us. It provides us with an opportunity to diversify, servicing new sectors outside our core while expanding our partnerships, global reach, and integrations with businesses across the world” says Jason Cameron, CEO of CRU Software. The new offering draws on the best of the past, continuing to add a ton of new capabilities and features for the future. It\’s the result of many hours of effort from dedicated mathematicians, software engineers, programmers, and designers – all of which have resulted in the most innovative automated rostering and scheduling software on the market. Take a moment to check out the products for yourself, but below is a top-line look at some of the power behind it: User-friendly mobile worker appEnhanced fatigue managementReal-time roster and schedule validationIntegrations with best-in-class Travel Management & Employee CompetencyYou can now manage large scale workforces in a single view As a result of the renewed focus on Rostering and Scheduling, CRU Software’s enhanced […]

Six-year agreements for major projects will create high-paid jobs

Allowing employers and unions to negotiate longer workplace deals for major resources and energy projects is an extremely important policy that would create thousands of high-paid jobs in Australia. Australian Resources and Energy Group, AMMA, has been calling for extended terms for employment arrangements applicable to new major projects, known as “greenfields agreements”, for well over a decade. “The Department of Industry shows there are more than 350 major resources and energy projects, in various stages of feasibility and commitment, in Australia’s investment pipeline,” Steve Knott AM, CEO of AMMA, said. “If all could be secured, the five-year employment projections would easily exceed 100,000 new jobs. “These jobs would range from trades and construction through to production roles – all paying salaries well in excess of $100,000 and for most, much more. “But in order to secure job-creating major project capital in Australia, and not see it lost to competing nations, we need to sharpen our game. “It makes no sense that the maximum term for major project greenfields agreements is currently four years, when the construction of large-scale resources and energy projects can often exceed that. “Even a small increase to six years would make a huge difference to the international investment community that determines which nations they will allocate billions of dollars of major project capital.” Mr Knott said six-year terms for major projects “should be uncontroversial” and encourages the Federal Opposition, the trade union movement and other stakeholders to be considered in their response. “Such agreements could have an inbuilt mechanism to ensure appropriate pay increases throughout the life of the project,” he said. AMMA also notes the following statement by the former Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, just days before the 2019 Federal Election: We would look at companies undertaking these […]

Combatting pressures in the building industry

Those tuned into the state of the market would be aware of the rising cost of materials, threatening companies in Australia’s construction and manufacturing sector. The past couple of months has seen the fall of two construction companies, Probuild in February, and Condev in late March – both attributed to unsustainably high material costs. An Australian Chamber and Westpac Survey of Industrial trends report found that Australian manufacturers are facing cost pressures they haven’t seen since the 1970’s. These rising cost pressures are hampering the manufacturing industry’s post-lock recovery which started to kick off this year with rising orders through the early months of 2022 with rising job numbers a key factor (according to Westpac senior economist Andrew Hanlan). This is raising concerns over profits, with 5% of survey respondents indicating they expect their profits to increase in the year to come, (down from a net 18% of respondents in the December quarter). Businesses operating on-shore will now be considering how they can continue to operate locally when the cost of goods continues to increase and offshore production may appear to offer a necessary reprieve in financial pressures. One Australian-made and owned business that is mitigating these issues is the Sydney-based louvre window manufacturing company, Safetyline Jalousie. Safetyline Jalousie’s Founder and Director, Leigh Rust (pictured), advises that looking at your spending from a holistic perspective will help to mitigate the pressures of rising material costs. “While we finally thought things were on the up – with a strengthening workforce and increasing orders – the heightened cost of materials is presenting new issues which have to be proactively and strategically navigated,” said Leigh. “We all know that the cost of materials is rising, so rather than waiting for the impact of this to be felt and being left with a reduction […]

Golden State Mining announces new Payne’s Find Lithium Project

Gold, lithium, and base metals exploration company Golden State Mining Limited is substantially growing its’ footprint across Western Australia following the successful granting of two out of five tenement applications at GSM’s new ~1200km2 Payne’s Find Project in the Murchison region of Western Australia. Located immediately east and 30km north of Payne’s Find in the Murchison region of Western Australia, GSM has secured the ground for its lithium and base metal potential based on open file aeromagnetic and remote sensing data evaluation. The project-scale lithium targeting work has already commenced on the new, underexplored tenure of the entire project area, with further reconnaissance and initial soil sampling work due to commence in the coming weeks. Golden State’s Managing Director, Michael Moore, said “The diligent targeting work carried out by GSM during the second half of 2021 is already paying off for the company with the recent granting of two out of five tenement applications at Payne’s Find, being an exciting addition to the GSM stable of projects across Western Australia. In conjunction with a well-regarded industry consultant, this greenfields area was specifically targeted for its lithium prospectivity, however, the recent Meleya discovery by Tempest Minerals Limited some 30km away has also highlighted the importance of base metals opportunities in this region.” The new Payne’s Find Project adds to GSM’s quality projects focussed on Western Australia, with the flagship being the Yule Project in the under-explored Mallina Basin in the Pilbara region of the State. GSM’s 100% per cent owned holding is a strategic ground position in the highly sought-after Archaean Mallina Basin, with the tenement package hosting intrusive bodies and major structural corridors. The most recent drill campaign uncovered a significant gold intersection of 4m @ 0.8g/t from 74 metres. “The region is seriously under-explored. GSM continues to validate the […]

A three dimensional panoramic view of the turquoise spring Kiikunlahde in Hollola, Finland in a mini planet panorama style.

Sustainable Technologies in 2022

At the core of sustainability are cost savings which has led economists and environmentalists to see eye-to-eye on the long-term benefits of sustainable practices in business. RS Components value both the environment and energy conscious design. In addition to their global support of the environment initiatives of Engineers Without Borders, the RS library of accessible consumer materials cover everything from tech-articles to product-selection guides on the most environmentally-economic products on the market. Their commitment to keeping their RS Components customers up-to-date on sustainable product trends compelled them to launch a webinar – Sustainable Technologies in 2022. A panel of experts from the leaders in industry include Schneider Electric, Fluke, Phoenix Contact, ABB and RS PRO who will discuss how business can become more sustainable in operations. Join the Sustainable Technologies in 2022 seminar by clicking on the link below to register: https://nz.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=sustainable-technology&cm_mmc=NZ-PR-_-NZMMAG-_-DTC_203_0322_APAC-_-Sustainability_banner And add this date in your diary: 12PM Thursday 7th April 2022 All attendees who stay until the end of the session will receive a FREE e-Gift Card valued at $20*.

Better environmental management of industrial chemicals

A national roadmap to deliver Australia’s new Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) is now available. IChEMS will reduce the impacts of industrial chemicals on the environment, protect Australia’s people, and safeguard the value of our land and water. Deputy Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment James Tregurtha said when in place, IChEMS will deliver more consistent regulation of industrial chemicals and make it easier for industry to choose less harmful alternatives. “IChEMS was developed collaboratively by the Australian, state and territory governments working together as part of broader reforms to Australia’s chemicals and waste management,” Mr Tregurtha said. “The roadmap builds on Australia’s partnership approach to chemicals management and recognises that scientists, governments, industry and communities all have a role to play in better management.” “IChEMS will not only support informed choice about chemicals but will also function as a single consistent source of information on how industrial chemicals should be managed in Australia.” Australia’s states and territories are working to adopt and implement IChEMS into their own regulatory frameworks from the end of the year. For more information, and to contribute to this important national reform, go to https://www.awe.gov.au/environment/protection/chemicals-management/national-standard.

Surging growth by LAPP delivers AUSPACK firsts

One of the country’s most successful branded cabling, connector, connectivity and automation system facilitators, LAPP Australia, will introduce major new drag chain cabling and custom engineering services at AUSPACK in Melbourne from May 17-20. The fully fledged Australian branch of the German global leader in cabling and connectivity solutions, LAPP Group, has far more than more than doubled its inventory of locally stocked product lines, from 1,500 to more than 4,000, since setting up in this country just four years ago. LAPP Australia has helped major industries weather the COVID pandemic by securing their supply chains to world-best product through online shop listings growing from 5,000 product listings to over 25,000 products. These cables, connectors, and services are vital to industries and automation/Industry 4.0 for applications including food and beverage, solar and energy, resources and materials handling, primary production and process engineering, acoustics, electrical contracting, water and wastewater, recycling, machine building and automation. Highlights of AUSPACK stand G105 will include the widest range of industrial and electrical cables on the Australian market, including: ÖLFLEX power and control cables SKINTOP cable glands ETHERLINE data communications systems for ETHERNET connections UNITRONIC data cables EPIC Connectors SILVYN robust cable protection and supply systems HITRONIC super-fast fibre-optic cables FLEXIMARK cable marking systems. LAPP will also be displaying its Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) cables, as well as cables specifically designed for high heat or low temperature and refrigerated environments. Complementing this broad range will be Australia’s widest range of drag chain cables. LAPP OLFLEXflexible drag chain cables (also known as energy chain cables) are designed to be used in applications that are constantly moving. They ensure the fail-safe supply of energy, data and impulses and are engineered to guide and protect cabling. Such integrated systems are suitable for automated manufacturing, robotics and industrial manufacturing. […]

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Future of Manufacturing