August 17, 2021

Boron nitride nanotubes – Game-changing nanotech

BNNTs are a game-changing technology set to disrupt countless industries. They are around 100 times stronger than steel and 50 times stronger than industrial-grade carbon fibre, while being as light as carbon fibre. They are many times more thermally conductive than copper, yet they do not conduct electricity, making them perfect for electrical heat sinks. They provide excellent radiation shielding, for applications ranging from protecting astronauts in space, to protecting healthy cells during cancer radiation treatments. BNNTs are translucent, meaning they can be mixed with a range of materials - even glass - without greatly affecting the appearance of the final product. They are stable up to 900-1000 deg.C, are super-flexible and can be bent over 90° for thousands of times without failure, and they are non-toxic. PPK Group’s suite of businesses includes: BNNT Technology Limited. Manufacturing the world’s highest-quality BNNTs. Li-S Energy Limited.…
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August 17, 2021

AMW 2022: Getting the most out of exhibiting

For some of the companies which have booked space at AMW, it may be their first time ever exhibiting at a trade show. Others may be returning after not exhibiting for a long time, and may be a bit “rusty”. And others still may be seasoned exhibitors who take stands at several trade shows a year. But for every business or organisation that takes part in an industry exhibition, that handful of days on the stand itself are only a part of the process. It could be a missed opportunity if you haven’t put in the work of preparing in advance. As the old quote goes, “The person who fails to plan, plans to fail.” So what steps can you take ahead of a show like AMW? Here are some handy tips. Consider what you want to achieve There are many reasons to exhibit in a show like AMW, and it’s important to establish exactly what outcomes you’re hoping to…
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August 17, 2021

How Australia is unlocking the industries of the future

At present, exports from engineering enabled industries (excluding mining) total $92bn or 29% of total exports in Australia; we have five academic institutions ranked in the top 50 in the world for engineering and technology; and 2.61 million Australians work in engineering and engineering-enabled industries — around 22% of the job market. From LiDAR to robotics and satellite technology, Australia has a multitude of companies operating on a global scale and exporting our hardware innovations to the world. The Australian advantage As we continue to manage the challenges of the pandemic, Australia has the opportunity to leverage existing strengths to enable the growth of world-leading engineering-enabled solutions, both for domestic and international markets. Historically, Australia has maintained a global reputation for strength in heavy industries including mining, construction, infrastructure and agriculture. Arguably, our energy and resource sectors have been major drivers of the economy for 30 years, and despite the effects of COVID-19, we have maintained…
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August 17, 2021

Funding boost for Deakin’s digital innovation hub

The Digital Innovation and SME Hub (the DISH) will help businesses survive and thrive by combining Deakin’s research, education and partnership capabilities to provide support services and technologies to help drive business growth in a post-COVID world. The repurposed and redesigned space at the University’s Burwood campus will concentrate on SMEs in sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare and trades. Businesses that partner with the DISH will have access to health checks conducted by Deakin’s Faculty of Business and Law, the School of IT and partner organisations to identify new product opportunities, funding, cashflow and efficiency improvements, and potential new markets. The DISH will also host post-COVID bootcamps, innovation workshops, rapid hackathons and research and development opportunities to help businesses adapt to a digital world. The project is expected to create 122 direct jobs by 2025, while more jobs are expected to be created in the SMEs participating in the program. The Victorian…
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August 17, 2021

Grants worth $800m offered for major manufacturing projects

Funding of between $20m and $200million is available, covering up to 33% of eligible project expenditure. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Christian Porter said the Government will strategically invest in projects that will help manufacturers to scale up and create jobs, with investments targeted at projects within the six National Manufacturing Priority areas. “As a Government we plan to harness Australia’s manufacturing capability to drive job creation and spur private investment, especially as we chart our economic recovery from COVID-19 and build our future resilience,” Minister Porter said. “Through the Collaboration Stream, we are determined to co-invest in industry-led proposals that will transform our National Manufacturing Priority areas, by encouraging manufacturers to move up the value chain to higher value, higher margin activities, including drawing on our world class research. “This is at the heart of our $1.5bn Modern Manufacturing Strategy, which is all designed to support Australian manufacturers to scale-up, build resilience, become more competitive and create the jobs we need not only…
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August 12, 2021

Neo-Bionica – Healthy outlook for Australian med-tech

A joint venture between the Bionics Institute and The University of Melbourne, and located in St Vincent’s Hospital, Neo-Bionica actually already commenced operations in June this year. The purpose-built, highly specialised laboratory is equipped with the latest clean-room technology, cutting-edge robotic equipment, enhanced 3D printing and precision engineering tools that are needed to develop and manufacture prototype medical devices for clinical trials. The driving force behind the new facility, Bionics Institute’s CEO Robert Klupacs, advises that Neo-Bionica will provide Australia with the capability to build clinical-grade medical devices, increasing the speed from initial concept to clinical application. On a site tour of the facility, there’s a cabinet near the entrance displaying a range of medical devices developed by the Bionics Institute in collaboration with other organisations and now by Neo-Bionica researchers. Among the items on display, there are: an electrode designed to stimulate the vagus nerve, for use in the treatment…
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August 12, 2021

Dimac’s expertise results in custom workholding solution for AL-KO

Like many companies involved in supplying recreational equipment, AL-KO is benefitting from travel restrictions that are seeing Australians holidaying and staying in their own backyards. Sales of RVs and associated products have skyrocketed this year and AL-KO is riding that resurgence and the resultant interest in getting out on the road and exploring new destinations. The company is best known for its high-quality running gear range, which includes axles, brakes, and suspension products. AL-KO also offers a wide range of accessories, as well as supplying suspension and carriage components to various motorhome and caravan chassis manufacturers. Look under any of the leading RV, caravan and off-road camper trailer brands and chances are that AL-KO parts will be fitted. In addition to the RV market, it produces specialised axles for trailers for a diverse range of agricultural machinery such as transporting combine harvester headers and suspension and running gear for lighting and access towers. The company has a long and…
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August 12, 2021

COVID-19 forces cancellation of AVALON 2021

Originally planned to have taken place in February, the AVALON 2021 airshow had already been rescheduled to 26-28 November as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic had required the AVALON organising team to work through many challenges in respect of the 2021 event. However, recent developments as a consequence of the COVID-19 Delta strain have highlighted that the environment has become more unpredictable. “Delivering such a highly complex, hallmark event in these challenging circumstances would involve risks of uncertainty for attendees, participants, industry and the Australian public,” said AMDA Foundation Chief Executive Ian Honnery. “Therefore, in order to minimise uncertainty and disruption to attendees and participants, the difficult decision has been taken now that AIRSHOW 2021 will not go ahead. “It is deeply disappointing for the AMDA Foundation team, our stakeholders, exhibitors, participants and patrons that this signature industry trade show and public entertainment spectacular will not proceed. But public health and safety must be paramount and responsible levels of certainty must be achieved…
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August 12, 2021

Prima Power Laser Genius+ – Next-level laser cutting

The Laser Genius+ (LG+) benefits from the 30 years of expert knowledge Prima Power has gained from the supply of over 10,000 laser systems to customers worldwide. The machine developments reduce installation time, increases serviceability, and make the overall user experience the best it can be, pushing the boundaries for the manufacturing industry. Built with ease of use and ease of service in mind, the LG+ has a single structure that holds the laser source, chillers, cutting table, and electrical cabinet. Prima Power is one of the only worldwide manufacturers to develop its own electrical components, cutting head, and laser sources. It does all of this from their facilities in Italy and the USA. It is also the only system manufacturer to make its own solid-state diode fiber lasers, with power from 3kW up to 15kW. The Prima Electro subsidiary develops CNC and electrical components, along with the software to drive the machines. wThe LG+ has any customer requirement covered, with various modular automation systems and…
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August 12, 2021

New partnership in improving manufacturability of orthopaedic implants

The industry-led research project has been awarded $118,338 by the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) and Allegra Orthopaedics. The project will span over 12 months and is led by Swinburne’s Dr Andrew Ang and Allegra Orthopaedics’ Robert Bell. The manufacturing outcome for Allegra will be a robust coating process that manufactures a new product line of novel bioceramic coated orthopaedic implants. This unique coating can outperform the current hydroxyapatite-coated implants. It allows Allegra to develop a proprietary implant coating process that does not currently exist in the market. This project will catalyse the industry-university collaboration and establish a solid foundation for manufacturing functional bioceramic coatings for Allegra Orthopaedics. “This manufacturing system is the first of its kind in Australia and will be made available to Allegra for this project,” said Professor Christopher Berndt, SEAM Director. “It will change the way on how orthopaedic implants are coated.” Jenny Swain, CEO of Allegra Orthopaedics, added: “Together with our novel…
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August 10, 2021

Waste Expo Australia: Transforming Australia’s waste management processes

Australia is responsible for 74 million tonnes of waste on a yearly basis with a recycling rate of only 60%. However, as all levels of government and industry work together to implement projects and provide funding to manage waste and protect the environment, the way we approach the country’s waste crisis is constantly shifting. Outlined in the Federal Government’s 2021-22 Budget, there are a number of actions to drive a multi-million-dollar transformation of Australia’s waste and recycling industry under the National Waste Policy Action Plan, aiming to improve infrastructure, increase recycling rates, tackle food and organic waste, and support better waste management in larger sectors such as manufacturing. Returning as an in-person event at an important time in the industry, Waste Expo Australia is the country’s largest gathering of waste management and resource recovery professionals. This free-to-attend exhibition and conference will feature more than 100 leading suppliers, including Applied Machinery, Boss Attachments, Caterpillar, Garwood, HSR Southern Cross, Pact Group, KOR Equipment Solutions, Lincom Group, STG Global, Toro Waste Equipment and Tomra. With the…
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August 10, 2021

Conma Industries – Third-gen family manufacturer confident in future

“The writing was on the wall some years back that we would ultimately see a dramatic loss of our automotive business,” says Ron Miller, Managing Director of Conma Industries. “With this in mind we diversified our product range, which is now greater than ever. Whilst we have retained some automotive business our product range takes us into many different industries today such as viticulture, food, and the building trades.” Following on from the successful purchase of a Fanuc Robocut wire-cut electric discharge machine (EDM) from Okuma Australia in 2018, Conma Industries has recently invested in the latest Okuma CNC vertical machining centre. This is a positive step towards upgrading its tool room with highly accurate and advanced technologies, building a strong relationship with Okuma Australia as it moves into the future. Ben Miller from the tool room commented that the choice of the Okuma machine was a ‘no brainer’ given the…
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August 10, 2021

High-growth businesses reveal new technology plans

“High-growth businesses spend more time and resources on technology,” said Gavan Ord, Senior Manager – Business Policy at CPA Australia. “Their choice of technology puts them even further ahead of their competitors. Our survey results suggest other businesses may improve their growth prospects by investing in the technologies used by high growth businesses.” CPA Australia surveyed 725 professionals in different industries in Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Singapore. Respondents were asked about their businesses’ past and expected technology use and past and expected financial performance. “COVID-19 accelerated technology adoption by businesses, but not all businesses were equally placed when the pandemic hit,” Ord added. “High-growth businesses had already embraced technology enthusiastically. This helped them manage the disruption caused by COVID-19.” In 2020, high-growth businesses were significantly more likely to develop a long-term technology strategy, work with technology companies and increase their recruitment of technology staff than businesses whose growth was stagnant or shrank. “High growth businesses have been focusing on…
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