Customer success stories

Marley Flow Control is the first business to complete a project with the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF).

The Western Sydney-based engineering company specialise in manufacturing and maintaining cooling towers, used in large scale thermal control systems across a range of industrial settings. 

A key component of these cooling towers are novel composite fan blades.

With customer demand growing, Marley Flow hope to achieve significant uplift in throughput of their blades. 

A time-study project was conducted to set baseline conditions and investigate what modifications could enable Marley Flow to achieve their future production goals.

The manufacturing process was filmed using time lapsed video recording, which recorded the end-to-end process to produce fan blades. 

This footage was then used to measure the time and resource required for each step in the manufacturing process. The data was further analysed to identify opportunities to enhance efficiencies the impact these had on production. Raw data was tabulated from the video footage to determine time spent in each part of the workflow.

"This time study revealed a staggering potential sixfold increase in throughput, thanks to a combination of easily achievable process improvements and the innovative capabilities we proudly offer in-house at the AMRF. 

This is a groundbreaking opportunity that would revolutionise the production of composite blades". – Nathan Howell Lead Engineer, Composites Manufacturing, AMRF

Five key recommendations and six process improvements were suggested through the time study that could generate six times the current productivity. Marley Flow reported an immediate uplift in productivity of 15-20%, with potential for further increases as recommendations are integrated over time. Marley Flow and the AMRF are now working on some follow-on projects to continue to enhance their market competitiveness.

ChezLeon approached the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF) to help resolve quality and consistency issues in their garment prototyping process. Their existing method produced varied results and was difficult to scale. Preceding a clinical study involving Head and Neck Cancer patients, ChezLeon needed a more stable, repeatable approach to manufacturing.

The AMRF engineering team reviewed ChezLeon’s forming process and identified key variables affecting prototype quality, including temperature distribution and pressure control. 

• Reconfigured the thermal press cycle
• Modified forming parameters to support consistent mould alignment
• Enabled even material flow and repeatable results across batches
• Documented the refined process to support future semi-automation

“Small businesses in particular need facilities like the AMRF — government-backed centres that help develop semi- to fully-automated processes and equipment so they can stay competitive. Automation, AI, and robotics are key to advancing manufacturing in Australia. We need to embrace these technologies, and AMRF helps us do exactly that.” - Cheryl Pollock, CEO and Founder, ChezLeon Pty Ltd.

ChezLeon was able to produce reliable, high-quality prototypes suitable for clinical trials. The improved process reduced cycle time by around 80 percent, increased production consistency, and improved quality outcomes. This set the groundwork for transitioning from manual to semiautomated manufacturing.

The project also demonstrated AMRF’s broader capabilities in: 

• Early-stage automation planning and implementation
• Process development for medtech
• Applied engineering support for start-ups and SMEs