Page 50 - Packaging News Magazine Sep-Oct 2018

50
LINE CONTROL & AUTOMATION
www.packagingnews.com.au
September-October 2018
Investing in innovation
A world leader in automation, SMC has joined the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre in support of promoting innovation and unlocking opportunities for growth. SMC sales and marketing
Adirector James McKew weighs in on the value of this partnership.
STAGGERING $1.6 trillion is at the use of their resources to create stake in the global innovation the breakthroughs needed. To re- race and for its part, Australia main competitive, much of the is looking to its manufacturers R&D effort is directed at finding to advance innovation, unlock ways to add value at every stage of new opportunities and acceler- the global supply chain.
ate the economy. The scope is almost infinite but There is growing demand for seizing opportunities requires im-
James McKew: Passionate about what the AMGC stands for.
exactly this. It’s an industry-led, non-profit organ-
isation, which aims to support and develop Australia’s advanced manu- facturing sector.
Belonging to this industry body means that a company is committed to development in the sector – both as a company and through collabora- tion; AMGC earmarks the ground- breaking innovators who are set to drive the advancements needed.
SMC is proud to align itself with the extensive list of prominent com- panies who form part of the AMGC. This vibrant ecosystem connects companies who provide services and explore developments in their respective fields – it also recognises training as a vital component to ad- vance the industry.
A world leader in automation, SMC reinvests approximately six per cent of turnover in R&D in our bid to meet every automation challenge.
SMC is passionate about what the AMGC stands for. Driven by its mandate and by combining the powers of top companies, signifi- cant advancements are already un- derway to the benefit of the Austra- lian manufacturing sector. ■
advanced manufacturing technol- ogy and practices in our country. Market-leading companies, in par- ticular, play a key role in meeting this demand through their sub- stantial investment in R&D and
mense resources. Here, collabora- tion between industry enterprises and the scientific and research com- munity create further opportunities.
The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) stands for
SUCCESS STORY
DEALING with more than 60,000 tons of potatoes annually requires quality automation by reliable suppliers to ensure always-on productivity and extreme care with this wholesome produce. When looking to kit out its new, cutting-edge machinery from Denmark designed to weigh and package potatoes, South Australian Potato Company called on SMC.
When meeting with the maintenance team at SA Potato, SMC used a sonic tester to find and measure the leaks, they realised that leaks were costing the company about $130 in energy per day (cubic feet study). Based on the findings, SMC supplied a range of products for everyday use such as air cylinders and solenoid valves as well as more advanced energy saving products such as digital pressure gauges that are used as process control systems.
Thanks to the upgrades and replacement of components such as inadequate seals on cylinders, SA Potato saw a 93 per cent improvement on leaks.
SA Potato Company: 93% improvement on leaks