3D printing helps keep the wheels turning at abattoirs

The cutting-edge technology is proving its worth in not only replacing broken items very quickly where machines could be out of action for weeks or months while orders are completed by distant manufacturers but also in refining equipment and even creating new parts.

The Northern Co-operative Meat Company in Casino, northern NSW is also applying it to safety additions.

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The Australian Meat Processor Corporation joined forces with Japanese technology company Konica Minolta to create a world-first, industry-owned additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, service model for Australian red meat processors to make their own equipment parts on-site.

Trial printers went out to two plants at the start of this year and the Casino operation has reported good success.

The concept of 3D printing has been applied to many industries, including in medical equipment and entertainment, for three decades and new uses for the technology are constantly being discovered.

This led AMPC to investigate its potential in meat processing facilities.

In a high-volume environment like a processing plant, parts such as bolts and rollers wear or break regularly and maintenance is a costly challenge.

Draftsperson and project support officer at The Co-op Brian Armstrong said one of the first parts printed was a 'gear' that needed replacing, which is the size of a dinner plate and holds drums.

That printed gear was used in a very harsh environment taking a lot of weight, he said.

"What we've found is that it was great in a crisis situation. We had things up and running in less than a day, as opposed to going to a manufacturer for this part which would have taken weeks," Mr Armstrong said.

"The downside was the gear only lasted a quarter of what a traditionally-manufactured piece would have."

However, it was expected that 3D printed parts for other processing industrial equipment would be used long term, Mr Armstrong said.

"There are parts which we aren't able to get anywhere in the world anymore - they've stopped making them. This solution means we can keep certain pieces of equipment going. We can extend its life which is of high value in a processing plant."

Examples include the printers used for packaging labelling, bar coding and scanning and fan blades in refrigeration units.

The longevity on these items was proving excellent, Mr Armstrong said.

The Casino plant is also testing a metal 3D printer, which was about trying to build equipment that is better than what already exists.

"The whole process is not just about replication, but about innovation and advancing the technology and equipment the user will end up with," Mr Armstrong said.

"We are currently using it to put safety switches into handles for more dangerous equipment."

AMPC chief executive officer Chris Taylor said his organisation's role, as the research and development corporation for red meat processors, was to look at innovative technology such as 3D printing, and how it could be applied within Australian plants.

"The ability to simply print a replacement part could drastically reduce downtime and minimise the need to wait for parts," he said.

The two 3D printers will move to different red meat processing plants around the country throughout 2022 as part of the trial.