Tackling plastic problems of all kinds

Our Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers series continues with a look at plastics specialist Innomerix. Brent Balinski spoke to Director Vahid Montazeri.

As other industrial automation specialists have done, CNC Design moved with client demand and ended up working in 3D printing, with this happening in the mid-2010s.

It began by building a machine for printing wax moulds for construction. More recent work includes a giant composite printer for caravan company Zone RV, which it announced in 2023.

Vahid Montazeri joined CNC Design in 2017, following a career in thermoplastics, to help establish its then-new additive manufacturing department.

“[But] that’s when we faced a major roadblock. There were no local suppliers for the materials we needed for large-scale 3D printing,” he tells @AuManufacturing.

“…The materials need specific features. While they need to be strong, lightweight and reliable, they need to have specific flows and characteristics. Back then, even now, they just weren’t available.”

If the flow of this article seems to suggest that the company then took matters into its own hands, it’s no accident. If you’re thinking about necessity, motherhood and invention, it’s because you’re meant to.

CNC Design established its Innomerix subsidiary, at which Montazeri is a Director, a couple of years ago. It specialises in developing and making thermoplastic composites, not just for large-scale AM, but also for extrusion, injection moulding and blow moulding.

Do you think you belong on @AuManufacturing’s list of Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers? Apply to be recognised in this exclusive group here. It’s completely free to enter, and we’ll be celebrating the announcement of the 50 Most Innovative list and the award winners at a special breakfast event on May 7 at Crown Melbourne, during Australian Manufacturing Week.

It offers materials and expertise for each of these, and recently added a recycled plastic for AM (branded RAM) offering, which the company is putting forward in its nomination for Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers.

In aid of all of the above, Innomerix launched a new applications centre in October at Nunawading, with a testing lab, compounding line, and 12-metre by six-metre by three-metre 3D printer. According to Montazeri, it’s unique within Australia. 

“This setup means we can produce high-performance engineering compounds with unique properties, test them and print them in less than 24 hours,” he shares.

As for what makes a company innovative, Montazeri says his first thought is to do with culture.

“It’s not just about having the latest tech or tools. It’s about being willing to think differently and, more importantly, to listen: listen to the customer, listen to the market,” he continues.” 

“That’s how you come up with solutions that actually make a difference. Another big one is agility. Things change so quickly, especially in advanced technology. And if you can’t adapt, you will fall behind.”

In episode 108 of @AuManufacturing Conversations, Montazeri tells us about the company’s recent investments, the appeal of recycling, developing recipes for new materials from scratch, and more. The episode is available to stream below and download elsewhere.

Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers is an annual campaign by @AuManufacturing. The current version has been made possible through the generous support of Australia Wide Engineering Recruitment, TXM Lean Solutions, the Industry Capability Network, Bonfiglioli Australia, the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre and the SmartCrete CRC. You can nominate here (there is no administration fee) until March 15.