Austech 2019 will cover every aspect of modern manufacturing, from the smallest of jobshops to the giant original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) – plus of course the suppliers who provide their state-of-the-art technology. This year’s exhibition will feature OEM displays from BAE Systems Australia and Volgren.

The manufacturing industry – in Australia and worldwide – functions as a kind of ecosystem, where individual organisations exist within a network of interdependent relationships. Many OEMs are multinational corporations selling products to customers all over the world. However, most of them would struggle without the support of numerous smaller manufacturing businesses that form their supply chains. And neither the biggest OEM nor the smallest SME would retain their competitive edge without the latest advanced manufacturing equipment, provided by technology suppliers with the experience and expertise to fulfil their requirements.

All these facets of the manufacturing ecosystem will be on display at Austech 2019. The participation of BAE Systems Australia and Volgren will provide a valuable insight into how companies like these operate and the opportunities that exist in their supply chains.

“We’re very happy that BAE and Volgren have agreed to take part in Austech this year,” says Kim Banks, AMTIL’s Events Manager. “We’ve always aimed for Austech to represent all of manufacturing under one roof, and having these big OEMs involved is a key part of that. I’m sure visitors to Austech will learn a lot from them, and I hope BAE and Volgren get a lot out of the show as well.”

BAE Systems Australia is one of Australia’s largest defence companies and has been supporting the Australian Defence Force since 1953. Headquartered in Edinburgh Parks, South Australia, BAE Systems Australia’s highly automated advanced manufacturing facilities can machine titanium and aluminium parts to tolerances a third the thickness of a human hair.

BAE Systems Australia’s products and services encompass air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology, and support services. As a global partner on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, BAE Systems has played a leading role in the design, development and production of this ground-breaking aircraft.

In December 2018, BAE Systems acquired ASC Shipbuilding and signed the contract to deliver nine Hunter class frigates to the Royal Australian Navy – the largest surface ship project in the nation’s defence history. Building the Hunter class frigates – world-leading bow-to-stern digitally designed, anti-submarine warships – will transform the Australian shipbuilding industry and support the workforce for generations.

Volgren is Australia’s largest bus body manufacturer, with headquarters in Dandenong, Victoria, along with manufacturing facilities in Malaga, Western Australia, and Eagle Farm, Queensland. Over the past three decades, Volgren has redefined bus manufacture, design and safety in Australia, employing the latest technology and the best engineers and builders, to build buses that have the operators’ needs in mind.

Volgren recently signed the biggest bus supply deal in its history, extending a contract with Volvo and the Public Transport Authority (PTA) of Western Australia to deliver up to 900 Transperth buses over a decade. The contract extension is Volgren’s third with the PTA. The buses will be built on Volvo chassis and assembled locally in Volgren’s Malaga facility.

Set to take place at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 14-17 May, Austech is Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition. Co-located with National Manufacturing Week (NMW), Austech 2019 is expected to attract more than 10,000 key decision-makers from across the industry. If you would like to attend Austech 2019, please register online at:

www.amtil.com.au/austech