3D Printing for Australian Meat Processing Plants

Konica Minolta Australia together with The Australian Meat Processor Company (AMPC) and Markforged are doing the job jointly to build a environment-initially, field-owned additive production support model to assist crimson meat processors across Australia to print devices areas, revolutionising machines routine maintenance to aid be certain steady offer of meat merchandise.

Additive production, also recognised as 3D printing, has been about for about a 10 years nonetheless, new works by using for the technology are continually becoming found out. This led AMPC to look into its likely in meat processing services. In a substantial-volume setting like a processing plant, sections these as bolts and rollers can don or split. As in any market, time is funds, and if a section fails the end result is misplaced productiveness and high priced down-time till the portion is sourced and replaced. With 3D printing, the marketplace can advantage from portion alternative, development, and refinement. For more details see the IDTechEx report on 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing 2020-2030: COVID Edition.

Chris Taylor, CEO, Australian Meat Processor Corporation, reported, “Meat processors depend on a multitude of tools, with numerous components. Even a smaller element failure can be a pricey physical exercise. The ability to simply just print a substitution section could significantly minimize downtime and minimise the require to wait around for components, lowering the prospect of offer currently being at danger.”

Matthew Hunter, Innovation Solution Marketing Manager, Konica Minolta, stated, “The have to have for sovereign ability for the Australian supply chain coupled with Australian govt help for neighborhood food and beverage manufacturing has resulted organisations looking to undertake ground breaking methods. Konica Minolta Australia is proud to companion with AMPC in having this planet-initial ability off the floor.”

Richard Elving, Director of Sales Asia-Pacific, Markforged, explained, “We are extremely psyched about bringing Markforged’s Digital Forge to AMPC and AMPC’s users to assistance routine maintenance, maintenance and operation needs. Offer chain troubles can be highly-priced and time-delicate, and with these applications in put, AMPC will present a aggressive advantage to its members that enables processing services to react rapidly to clear up troubles correct on the manufacturing ground.”

The collaboration involving the Australian Meat Processor Company, Konica Minolta and MarkForged includes a three-yr, multifaceted software so that these added benefits can be realised at meat processing crops throughout Australia. The software will see two cell non-metallic industrial 3D printers (Markforged X7 carbon fiber 3D printers) delivered to Australian processing vegetation. Processing employees will be properly trained to use them so they can evaluate whether or not getting a long term device would be a great investment decision. The units will continue being on site for four to 8 months prior to rotating to a different plant. These units can produce pre-metal prototypes for evaluation as properly as making non-steel sections. Konica Minolta will offer on-site aid to assistance meat processors fully grasp and leverage the technology.

As section of the program, a metal printing 3D industrial device (steel X technique) will be established-up at Konica Minolta’s Sydney location focused for purple meat processing portion producing. Plastic prototypes created at each processing spot can be despatched to this hub to be created out of stainless metal and other metals in as several as 24 hours. A crimson meat 3D areas databases library will make certain all parts are high-quality controlled.

Matthew Hunter reported, “When it comes to meat processing, there are a quantity of issues for products servicing. This features the use of previous tools with constrained spare element availability and the want to produce custom made components. 3D printing can help deal with these challenges. By way of the database, AMPC’s member organisations will have accessibility to mental assets to expediate and streamline their repairs procedures.”

With the skill to rapid prototype with 3D printing and develop a single-off 3D pieces, meat processors will also be capable to modify machines and/or products components to suit their very own distinct requirements by generating adjustments to tooling, fixtures, brackets, and actuators. At the moment numerous of these modifications, customisations, and consolidations simply are unable to be finished.

Chris Taylor reported, “The processing sector is element of an ecosystem that performs greatest when all components are optimised. Whilst proven and committed for Australian crimson meat processors, AMPC will make the 3D printing hub available for other Australian food items, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors to examine their demands and options for 3D printing inside of their source chains.”