MACHINE TOOLS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 125, 20 February 1941, Page 8

MACHINE TOOLS

Australian War Machine

Due to whole-hearted efforts in the entire field of engineering, machine tools for munitions and aircraft production, covering a most extensive range, are being made in Australia today. A report issued in New Zealand by the Australian Trade Commissioner, .Mr. C. E. Critchley, says that since the war there has sprung into being a vast machine tool industry—practically a new development in Australia’s production and the ba.sis of her whole a rmamen t programme. “At the outbreak of war, Australian manufacture of machine tools was confined to throe engineering firms and Hie Commonwealth Small Arms Factory. She was practically dependent for her machine tools on the United Kingdom, U.S.A., Canada and European countries, including Germany. Today more than 30 firms in all the main--land States are turning out machine tools of all shapes and sizes. "Tools already delivered in construction number more than ¥.300. valued at more than £3.000,000. These include huge hydraulic presses and shell-ma king ma chines. “Precision tools, gauges, jigs: and fixtures, some of which are so fun? that they have a tolerance of only fen thousandth of tin inch, were being made at the outbreak of war by only five shops.. Today there are more than 90 witli the number being added to eaeli week. "it is this ability to build iter own machines which lias made possible the carrying out of Australia's tremendous munitions programme. More Ilian 1000 skilled workmen have been trained to do this work and in addition 44 training schools tire engaged in training ever-increasing numbers of men to join their ranks. It is this machine tool industry and the training of thousands of workmen which in no small measure accounts for the taxation which each of us litis been called upon to bear this year. This new industry lias come to stay. It will be ns adaptable to the ends of peace as Io I hose of war.'’