Month: June 2016

Engi-O was established by Andrew Ogilvy in 2012 and after 18 months is nicely settled into its third location in Macquarie Place, Boronia. The company designs and manufactures sophisticated filling solutions for the aseptic and the ESL (Extended Shelf Life) bag-in-the-box industry. The bags/bladders come in a range of sizes and fitments from two litres to 2000 litres. Customers come from a variety of industries and filling applications, including wineries, dairies, pharmaceutical, olive oil, juice, syrups and water. The company employs six casuals and has just taken on its fourth permanent employee, a fitter and turner. “Going from three to four permanents is a hard thing to do,” said Andrew. “The nature of our business is that it has the potential to be very roller coaster. Because individual made-to-measure aseptic filling machines can take a few months to complete, we need to ensure that everyone has work to do every day. “It’s been an extraordinary journey so far and orders are way above our expectations.…

Gilbey announced on 11 April that Imagine IM, the leading Australian developer of graphene applications for industry, has entered into a licensing agreement with Australia’s largest geotextiles manufacturer Geofabrics Australasia. The ground-breaking agreement will see Geofabrics become the exclusive Australian licensee of Imagine IM’s graphene coating technology for applications in geotextiles. Geofabrics will use the technology to offer Australian civil engineering companies significantly improved capacity to locate and remedy leaks with applications in landfill and mining construction. Gilbey said that the insights gained from working with Geofabrics, which is headquartered in Melbourne, were key to the development of the graphene manufacturing solution. “Increased environmental regulations in Australia and around the world are driven by the need to address water safety and conservation and by the need for cost effective leak detection in the mining industry,” Gilbey said. “We estimate our technology will save customers around 20-40% on their current solution costs. Our graphene coating technology has the potential to become…

For many AMTIL members, and other organisations involved in manufacturing technology, employees will have access to sensitive client, product and/or supplier information. Employees will also often have access to confidential processes and techniques, equipment details, pricing information and typically for more senior employees, information about strategy and business direction. Where this information could cause damage to an employer should it fall into the wrong hands, there are likely to be legitimate grounds upon which an employer may seek to protect it. While employees will be bound by a series of implied contractual and statutory obligations in relation to the protection of confidential information, the extent of these obligations can be unclear. Without a properly tailored clause in an employee’s employment contract, there is likely to be significant doubt about the scope of the implied contractual and statutory obligations. Further, Australian courts…

By pioneering a PVC formulation with true “thermoplastic” 3D printing properties, specifically designed for use as a 3D printing filament feedstock, the Chemson invention broadens the options available for users of 3D printing: from cottage-industry makers and hobbyists, to advanced manufacturing. 3D Vinyl’s unique qualities remove the constraints formerly imposed on the majority of accessible 3D printing platforms. The product will enable users of these systems to move beyond rapid prototyping and develop end-use parts and products in a variety of low-run production deployments. 3D Vinyl is weatherproof, UV and solvent resistant, and is Group-1 fire retardant, capable of AS3837 compliance. It boasts low embodied energy content compared to incumbent polymer-based filaments, with a sustainable footprint requiring 50% fewer fossil fuel inputs, using natural gas rather than being derived from crude oil. It features improved rigidity, eliminating bottom layer warping and poor bed adhesion, and is excellent for generating support structures, which are easily removed. Benefits of 3D Vinyl for…

The result continues the longest unbroken period of growth for the Australian PMI since September 2006, now at 11 months. As in April, six of the seven activity sub-indexes expanded in May, although most eased from last month. The exception, once again, was the employment sub-index (down 3.4 points to 45.6). Five of the eight manufacturing sub-sectors expanded (that is, above 50 points in three-month moving averages). Food, beverages & tobacco (down 8.8 points to 65.3) and wood & paper products (up 1.9 points to 67.7) remained in strong expansion, as did petroleum & chemicals (up 5.4 points to 59.9). Printing & recorded media (up 4.1 points to 49.7) and machinery & equipment (up 2.8 points to 50.6) both stabilised, while metal products (up 0.2 points to 44.1) and textiles, clothing & other manufacturing (down 3.9 points to 47.1) contracted in May. The input prices sub-index increased by 5.9 points in May to 63.2, reversing the easing in input price pressures…

Now in its sixth year, the Competition has established itself as Australia’s premier technology accelerator. The Australian Technologies Competition identifies, mentors and profiles Australia’s leading technologies with global potential. Over the last five years, the Competition has generated over $250m dollars in investment and project opportunities for Australian SMEs. It has attracted over 700 entries and 125 companies have so far benefitted from the mentoring program. The Business Accelerator Program provides access to expert mentors and connections to investors, customers, specialist advisors, grant programs and international markets. In 2016, the Competition is collaborating with the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Centres to help focus the benefits towards Australia’s priority sectors and deliver growth to more companies. This will expand the reach of the eligible technologies to include Medtech, Biotech and Cyber Security. In addition, the Competition retains its links to its environmental origins through the Smart Cities, New Energy and Global Development Awards. The Program is also supported by a diverse range of partners including: Industry Associations such as the Facilities Management Association, AustMine,…

Mine ventilation management systems are rarely a simple amalgam of gas analysis technology and supporting instrumentation. Hazards controlled by mine ventilation include: flammable gases, oxygen content, temperature, fumes, toxic gases, asphyxiants, dust and humidity. There is no universal “silver bullet” solution. Individual sites have unique features, and most demonstrate unique behaviours. A successful solution is more than the combination of components, systems and services. Mine ventilation must be planned precisely, with performance carefully monitored to enable continued improvement. A typical mine ventilation circuit offers a variety of tools to enable the control of the underground environment. Efficient performance of ventilation fans, airways and flow regulators is essential. Uncontrolled airflows in a ventilation circuit can severely compromise any ventilation system, regardless of its capacity. A sound mine ventilation strategy should include acquisition of accurate, timely data. Systems to continually monitor gas composition in underground mines have become commonplace over the last decade. Real-time gas monitors, extractive gas analysis (tube bundle) systems and gas chromatographs ensure…