Month: April 2017

REA Foundation's F1 in Schools™ program attracts a real diversity of ethnic backgrounds. This was never more evident than with the nation's top team: Golden Diversity. Their team name lends itself to the fact that the girls each have family backgrounds from distinctly different parts of the world. A quick appraisal of the 131 competitor names at the F1 in Schools national finals also revealed representation from across the globe. This multitude of genealogies was no obstacle to the team members because in order to reach this level of competition they have spent months if not years working very closely together - with an emphasis on teamwork, collaboration, complementary skill sets and good communication. The F1 in Schools national champion for 2017 is Golden Diversity from Queechy High School in Tasmania. Golden Diversity is made up of five girls…

Manufacturing is entering a new era of rapid, drastic change. Often described as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it will see advances in areas such as robotics & automation, the interconnectivity of devices, big data and Cloud computing, that together will usher in the smart, connected factory of the future. “We’re constantly hearing about stuff like Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things and so on, but a lot of people are still in the dark about what it all means,” says AMTIL’s CEO and Exhibition Director Shane Infanti. “That’s why we decided to introduce the Digitalisation Pavilion at Austech this year. We felt a show like Austech is a great opportunity to bring together some of the key players and the latest technology in this field, so that people can come along and find out about it first-hand.” At the Digitalisation Pavilion visitors will have the chance to learn about the implications of these developments for their businesses, and discuss how they can capitalise on…

This year’s black tie Gala Dinner and awards ceremony will be held on the opening night of Austech and National Manufacturing Week. To be hosted by Wade Noonan MP, State Minister for Industry and Employment, the dinner will feature fine Victorian food and beverages as well as fabulous entertainment and offers a great opportunity to network with other decision makers in the manufacturing sector. An initiative of the Victorian Government, the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame recognises exemplar companies and individuals. This year’s theme is Growing Advanced Manufacturing, which highlights the opportunities for innovation in Victorian manufacturing. Award categories include Young Manufacturer of the Year, Manufacturer of the Year, Company Induction and addition to the Honour Roll. Awards will also be given to companies operating in high-growth future industries sectors, such as medical technology and pharmaceuticals, transport, defence and construction technologies, food and fibre, new energy technologies, professional services and international education. Details of the 2017 Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Gala Dinner are as follows: Date: Tuesday, 9 May 2017 Time: 7 pm to midnight Venue:…

The stories that we often hear concerning the death of manufacturing stem from confusion between employment and production. The world produces and consumes more manufactured goods than ever, but it does so with fewer people since productivity improvement has for a long time exceeded underlying market growth, enabling increased production with fewer employees. Hence, manufacturing has declined as an employer in most countries despite output increasing. This trend will continue and even accelerate with the development and deployment of technology-enabled productivity improvement tools. This change will increase – as opposed to decrease – manufacturing’s importance to an economy, which can be summarised as: It is the biggest spender of applied research and innovation, with spill-over effects throughout the economy. It is the key driver of productivity improvement, with further economic spill-over effects. It comprises the biggest share of world trade and is critical for export earnings that pay for the cost of importing goods. As the largest driver…

All seven activity sub-indexes in the Australian PMI expanded in March, with expansion in new orders (up 2.0 points to 62.6) and sales (up 2.4 points to 57.7) strengthening (readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase). Five of the eight manufacturing sub-sectors expanded in March (all sub-sector indexes are reported in trend terms (Henderson 13-month filter) to identify trends in volatile monthly data), with the strongest growth in non-metallic mineral products (up 0.6 points to 64.8) and food and beverages (up 1.6 points to 63.4). Encouragingly, machinery & equipment continued to strengthen (up 0.9 points to 60.5) despite the ongoing exit of automotive assembly. “The recovery in Australian manufacturing continued to build in March with another month of expansion in sales, production, employment and exports,” said Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox. “The Australian PMI result of 57.5 points was the sixth…

Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the four-day event will feature more than 30 speakers, more than 230 exhibitors and networking opportunities for those working along the manufacturing value chain. Explore the Industry 4.0 Theatre The 2017 NMW speaker program will feature a leading-edge series of seminars, showcases, interactive discussions, workshops and networking sessions addressing the critical touch points that will help drive the Industry 4.0 revolution including: Industry Capability Development: These sessions will focus on investment, supply chain integration and industry capability promoting initiatives, and supportive industry, government and community-led networks promoting team-based approaches to sector development. Product and Service Innovation: Manufactured products are changing radically, with the very nature of manufacturing shifting towards “manufacturing as a service” as part of complex horizontally and vertically integrated supply chains. NMW will explore advances in manufactured products, services and supply chain integration in Australia and abroad. Technology Innovation: The pace of technological change is relentless and manufacturers must keep up with it to maintain their competitive edge. NMW’s extensive…

ASGL has launched following the amalgamation of eight companies to form a fully vertically integrated model, listing on the stock exchange back in December last year. The new company is a consolidation of fleet and automotive businesses that specialise in the design, manufacture, distribution and retail of parts, accessories and performance technology for the 4WD/SUV market. Led by Chief Executive Officer Tanya Mason, and avid 4WD enthusiast, ASGL aims to be one-stop shop offering that caters to the growing number of 4WD enthusiasts and leisure travellers. It has become a real challenger and is positioned to become a significant player in the market. ASGL successfully raised its maximum subscription of $30m at $1 per share through its initial public offering (IPO), receiving strong support from institutional investors, high-net-worth individuals, retail investors and major institutions Microequities and SG Hiscock. ASGL is well placed to take advantage of continuing growth in the 4WD/SUV market by expanding the portfolio…

I would also like to thank our contractors who largely go unnoticed in the overall scheme of putting on such a large event but are an integral part of making it happen. So at the risk of embarrassing some companies and individuals, I write this article to thank them and give our readers some insight into the mechanics of running our show. Thank you to Michael Begg and his team at Harry the Hirer. The 4-6 months of daily pre-show email communication to ensure every “T” is crossed and every “I” dotted with our team ensured the smoothest move in to a show we have had in almost 20 years. Beggy’s unique “Sector” plan, which involved four sectors of carpet lay and stand build over three days, was well received by other contractors and certainly gave us a few laughs along the way. Also thanks to Travis Wall and his…

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