The Land 400 Phase 3 Project
The Mounted Close Combat Capability (LAND 400 Phase 3) project is scoped to acquire and support up to 450 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) to replace the current M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers and up to 17 Manoeuvre Support Vehicles.
The AIC roadshow is an essential part of the Risk Mitigation Activity by Defence that will enable companies across Australia to showcase their capabilities and provide both shortlisted tenderers with the opportunity to identify local businesses able to contribute to manufacture and support.
Shortlisted Tenderers
Hanwha Australia and Rheinmetall Australia
Redback IFV
Lynx KF41 IFV
Australian Industry Capability
Glyde Metal Industries (GMI) were invited to present their Sovereign Industry Capability (SIC) to a panel of ten comprising key representatives from Hanwha and Rheinmetall, and The Commonwealth.
Glyde Metal Industries has a special relationship with its primary supplier BlueScope Plate Supplies and its Business Development representative, Maddie Dharmapala. Maddie was invited to join the GMI presentation to demonstrate the high Sovereign Industry Capability that Glyde Metal and BlueScope Plate Supplies brings to Land 400 Phase 3, but how did we do this?
Read on and you will learn the key elements of this David and Goliath SIC offer.
A True Blue, great partnership
(not an odd couple)
A large publicly listed company and an SME have some shared attributes; BlueScope manufacture steel from raw material in Australia and Glyde Metal manufacture steel parts, assemblies and components from Australian steel.
GMI use BlueScope TRU-SPEC® steel which as the name suggests stays true to shape and form even whilst being subjected to high speed laser cutting. TRU-SPEC® steel provides a better outcome when steel is cut and pressed by maintaining a flat surface finish. Production cost overruns are minimised as rework during manufacture is virtually eliminated.
Glyde Metal Industries enjoys a close working relationship with BlueScope Plate Supplies who, for over 25 years, have routinely supplied a broad range of quality steel products.
State-Of-The-Art Steel Laser Cutting
Mark Wood, as General Manager of Glyde Metal Industries, a manufacturer located in Dandenong South for over twenty-five years with thirty-five Engineers, Tradespeople and staff, has overseen the 2019 acquisition of a state-of-the-art steel Laser Cutter.
The Genius Laser can cut steel thicknesses from as thin as Al foil right up to 25mm heavy plate and very accurately and at high speed – this means:
• increased productive capacity
• lower cost of production
How does the Genius Laser do this?
• 10 kilowatts of cutting power generates substantial heat, so to manage the heat super cold nitrogen gas is applied to the cutting surface at high pressure.
In 2012 GMI purchased a high end 5 kilowatt CO2 steel laser cutter – today we don’t have much use for it – this is how quickly the technology has moved. A simple comparison of Fibre vs CO2 lasers is your old CRT box style TV vs a 4k HD flat panel TV
Industry 4.0
o The genius 10 kilowatt fibre laser has assisted Glyde Metal Industries to move towards adopting Industry 4.0 principles and practices
Broader Defence Capability
o The additional capability the genius laser has enabled means Glyde Metal Industries has become a supplier to Boeing’s Loyal Wingman Program – the Air Power Teaming System
Grants
o Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) – GMI were successful in being awarded a Clean Energy Finance Corporation grant for the genius laser because it uses 85% less electricity than our CO2 laser.
o Sovereign Industrial Capability (SIC) – GMI were recently awarded a Sovereign Industrial Capability Grant for the adoption of technology that fully automates the loading and unloading of the Genius Laser.
