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TECH CRUNCH: JEWELLERY EQUIPMENTINNOVATIONS

Posted June 25, 2010 | By Stuart Braun

In today's rollercoaster market, Australian retail and bench jewellers could use some technological verve togive them a competitive edge. Stuart Braun searches out the latest jewellery equipment innovations.

As Australian jewellers search for competitive advantage amidst an influx of discounted product made with cheaplabour, new technological innovations might help bench and retail jewellers improve the quality, speed andefficiency of their work and their services levels, ultimately boosting profits. "In Australia, we don't have the sortof cheap labour available in Asian countries, for example, but we can use technology to offset the higher cost of

labour," says Selwyn Brandt, managing director of equipment supplier House of Jewellery. "Obviously, however, this sort of equipment and machinery is notavailable to every jeweller since it's a large investment."

Thus, while innovative new equipment and technology is constantly entering the market, Australian jewellers remain cautious about trying - and investing in- new technology. For those ready to update existing equipment, or experiment with inventive new machinery, what are the options, costs, and measurablebenefits? It's safe to assume that jewellers across the board wish to produce quality product using the latest machinery; however, most small jewellersdon't have the capital to invest - who can afford their own printing and rapid prototyping equipment, for example?

Instead, such jewellers are turning to bureaus that invest in machinery and technology, forming a link between the trade and the computer-aideddesign/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) equipment that has become fundamental to the industry.

"As a designer, you create a piece in three dimensions on CAD software, email it the bureau, and they create the model for you," Brandt notes. SunshineCoast-based Facet RP is one such bureau. "With the knowledge gained from over 10 years of experience running Australia's largest wax printing bureau, wehave been able to pass our expertise on to numerous jewellers, training them in all aspects of CAD/CAM and being able to provide the most important thingof all - support," asserts Facet's Craig Long. For designers, Brandt believes the advantages are obvious: "If you have to spend time creating prototypes byhand, it might take hours. If you're able to use 3D-design and send it to the bureau, you save a lot of time."

Brandt recommends Palloys as one of the most-trusted bureaus in the business, specialising in casting and creating wax models. Using such a service can

remove some of the burdens of capital investment - wax-printing machines costing upwards of $50,000! CAD software is a fundamental tool for both benchand retail jewellers, and is undergoing constant innovation. Upgrading from the previous standard, JewelCAD, Facet RP has now embraced JewelCAD Pro asthe latest generation of jewellery designing and modelling software. Such computer-aided design programs can be used as either a manufacturing tool, oras a sales tool in a retail shop, meaning a salesperson can show customers what designs will look like, or create a fully-rendered design of a ring fromscratch. JewelCAD Pro is suitable for jewellery designers who want to create custom jewellery and publish marketing materials over the internet. Adatabase of designs can be created from these 3D drawings, with alterations such as the changing of a collet taking mere minutes. "JewelCAD Pro isspecifically designed for jewellery where as some other programs specialise other areas, or are add-ons and plug-ins for architectural programs," Steggallsays, adding that the program features a simple, user-friendly interface that can be easily utilised by staff with only a cursory knowledge of design softwarepackages.

At the JAA's Brisbane trade fair in March, jewellery equipment supplier Evolution Jewellers released what director Anthony Nowlan calls "an exciting andinnovative new retail CAD system" titled Counter Sketch Studio.

Specifically developed for the jewellery retail industry by printing-equipment supplier Gemvision and the US jewellery manufacturing and supplies giantStuller, Nowlan believes Counter Sketch Studio is a "very exciting development for creating custom jewellery designs within the retail sector".

"Starting with a large database of jewellery designs, sales staff are able to sit with their client, select a design and alter its parameters easily to create acustom design piece of jewellery specifically for that customer," he explains. The design database is a lways increasing in size, and updates are free,meaning that any user's virtual inventory increases with it. Furthermore, Nowlan explains, V-Ray software enables the jeweller /designer to createphotorealistic renders and then upload those designs to Stuller USA for manufacturing. Retailers can select to receive rough castings, finished castings, or afinished piece that includes setting. "Sales staff can easily learn the intuitive interface and operate the software quickly, showing their customer how aseemingly stock piece of jewellery can be customised to suit their tastes and preferences," he adds. "This gives the customer ownership of the design."Additionally, it reduces physical inventory, saving the retailer from holding dead stock.

There are also some exciting developments in CAD technology for bench jewellers.

"Matrix 3D Jewellery Design software is a state-of-the-art, 3D, jewellery CAD program that is intuitive, and works very similarly to the way that benchjewellers work," Nowlan says. Allowing users to design from scratch, the software is made up of not only core tooling, but also includes specific "builders"designed to aid the jeweller/designer in producing their pieces easily. Using V-Ray rendering software also, Matrix can then output the design to rapidprototyping (RP) machines, regardless of whether they are subtractive or additive RP technologies. The latter includes the Revo 540C Milling System, asubtractive RP milling machine with a unique dual spindle setup that allows cutters to be placed vertically and horizontally, unlike on a single spindle mill.According to Nowlan, this is the next step for jewellers who have purchased Matrix, as the accuracy of the mill and its ease of use enables jewellers to"quickly produce their own models in-house, by-passing service bureaus." In addition to milling, a new range of wax printers is being utilised to create

models and casts, further streamlining the manufacturing process and, ultimately, reducing costs. The Solidscape wax printers used by Facet RP, includingthe T76+ or R66+, help bench jewellers create more elaborate and precise pieces than by hand, while the machines can also be left unattended, thusincreasing productivity.

Both the T76+ and the R66+ employ Solidscape's new proprietary Smooth Curvature Printing (SCPTM) Technology, which allows for more uniform printedlines by eliminating surface artefacts. The R66+ is targeted at the custom retail jeweller who, in addition to purchasing and marketing jewellery and relatedservices, produces individual pieces or custom lines.

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