Month: April 2018

The field of renewable energy and clean technology is highly diverse, encompassing everything from wind and solar power, through to technologies for improving energy efficiency and electricity storage. One area that is relatively undeveloped and has generated comparably limited media coverage is hydrogan fuel technology, but it is an area with enormous potential. Hydrogen Mobility Australia (HMA), publicly launched on 2 February, is the voice of Australian’s emerging hydrogen industry. With a membership comprising vehicle manufacturers, energy companies and infrastructure providers, it is a national body with a vision of a hydrogen society for Australia built on clean and renewable energy technology, including hydrogen-powered transport. HMA is also working in collaboration with the Australian Government on developing regulations, codes and standards for hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen production. The organisation’s CEO, Claire Johnson has extensive experience in policy development across the public and private sector. Based in Melbourne, she recently led Toyota…

The Australian PMI has now extended its longest run of expansion since 2005 into its 18th month (readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase). The previous record for the Australian PMI was 62.1 points recorded in May 2002. For the fifth consecutive month all seven activity sub-indexes in the Australian PMI expanded, with new orders (up 11.2 points to 66.6), employment (up 2.2 points to 60.0) and deliveries (up 10.6 points to 66.6) all recording record highs. Queensland manufacturing is performing particularly well, with a reading of 73.8 points in March. Respondents in Queensland reported increased demand from a broad range of sectors including construction, mining, agriculture and renewables. “The ascent of manufacturing reached new heights over the past month with strength evident across the sector in what is continuing welcome news for the industry,” said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox. “Production grew beyond the strong levels recorded in February on the back of higher…

Australian advanced manufacturing is undergoing one of the most exciting transformations in its history. The advent of new technologies, such as 3D printing with metals, advanced materials such as composites and graphene, digitalisation and the Internet of Things, has meant that there is a great deal of education, support and promotion needed to highlight the benefits of these technologies. Austech runs every two years in Melbourne, and is the only show specifically targeted at the metalworking, machine tool and ancillary market - being held in Australia in 2019. The product sectors covered by Austech include CNC machine tools, sheet metal fabrication equipment, special purpose machines, laser cutting marking and engraving, additive manufacturing & 3D printing, digitalisation, inspection & measurement, automation & robotics and general engineering. National Manufacturing…

The collaborative project, ‘Repair Bot’, will employ robotics and 3D printing, along with complex materials, to enable an automated rapid repair service for plastic car parts. Inspiration for the project stemmed from the need for a technology-driven solution to overcome numerous issues facing the automotive repair industry. These issues range from material wastage, complex and restrictive design elements, the limited availability of skilled labour, and the long lead times and inventory holdings for replacement parts. Tradiebot Founder Mario Dimovski believes the project’s potential benefits go far beyond just the automotive collision industry. “The ability to repair previously non-repairable parts using world-first technology will reduce overall repair times and repair costs,” explains Dimovski. “It will also create real and significant export opportunities and has flow-on benefits for the environment by reducing land-fill. Tradiebot will also deliver new future skills to the industry as more processes become automated.” Research the key to unlocking…

The Facility for Intelligent Fabrication (FIF) combines the knowledge and resources of the UoW, TAFE NSW and the Welding Technology Institute of Australia (WTIA). FIF was formed in recognition of the changing business climate, as the Illawarra transitions from large-scale heavy manufacturing, and the need for local manufacturers to innovate and adapt to remain competitive. The facility draws on decades of research-based welding and automation expertise and welding training at both UOW and TAFE NSW, enabling local firms with their own history of fabrication expertise to access specialised knowledge and skills in automation. FIF will develop and implement solutions to industry challenges and provide demonstrations of technology and proof-of-concept, including prototype development. It will also support the adoption of new technology with technical education, training and certification support. Gareth Ward MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Education and the Illawarra and South Coast, launched the facility on behalf of John Barilaro, Deputy Premier, Minister for Regional New South Wales, Minister for Skills, and Minister…

The Australian Advanced Materials Manufacturing (AAMM) facility in Edinburgh Parks in Adelaide’s North opened on 16 February to print metals including titanium, stainless steel, aluminium and cobalt chrome into complex metal parts. Part of the Additive Manufacturing Applied Research Network (AMARN), the facility is the only metal additive manufacturing centre in Australia available to industry on a commercial basis. It provides access to technology that removes significant costs and barriers for local manufacturers. One early user of the facility will be local medical device company Austofix, which will be able to produce commercial quantities of its revolutionary wrist fracture device Volar Radius Plate, enabling the company to take advantage of export opportunities. The University of Adelaide’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) and the Optofab Australian National Fabrication Facility, together with the Stretton Centre and CSIRO’s Lab 22 additive manufacturing centre, established the AMARN. They received a $1.4m state government grant through the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC) to buy a number of UK-made 3D printers. David…