Month: November 2020

The new apprenticeship will offer tech-savvy school leavers a three-year placement in some of Australia’s top tier organisations under a paid-to-learn model, creating a new wave of para-professional roles recently coined ‘new-collar jobs’. The program delivers on growing demand from industry employers for a new way to manage digital workflow. Creation of a new class of digital specialists in the Australian engineering community is predicted to be a win-win response to the fourth industrial revolution skills gap, with the potential to launch the careers of hundreds of school leavers across the country over the next five years. “With technology changing so rapidly, there is a clear and present need for a new group of professionals who bring specialist training on how the different technical CAD packages and data can all come together in a customer-centric way,” said Peter Barnard, Head of Engineering Design and Technical Services at SA Power Networks. The adoption of this next-generation career path…

Regardless of whether times are good or bad, many industrial companies have continual requirements for maintenance and to support production operations. Their primary aim is to find alternative options to keep costs low by reusing existing equipment or materials, repairing items or simply choosing a cheaper option to get the job done. The latest report by business intelligence provider Visiongain, says that Europe’s MRO market alone reached spending of $170bn in 2019 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 2%. A key feature of MRO is hand-drilling operations, particularly standard high-speed steel (HSS) drills, which represent the lifeblood of the segment. Dormer Pramet is a leading manufacturer of HSS and HSS-E general purpose drills, with more than 100 years’ experience of providing cutting tools to meet companies’ MRO needs. The most popular items within its…

Palermo will return home to Australia to replace inaugural Head Dr Megan Clark AC, who will finish in the role at the end of December, before commencing as the Chair of the Australian Space Agency Advisory Board in the New Year. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Palermo comes to the position with extensive international experience in the space industry and will be an enormous asset to the Agency. “Mr Palermo’s leadership will rocket Australia toward our goal of becoming a major player in the international space industry, while providing benefits across our economy,” said Morrison. “By 2030, we want to triple the size of our space sector – adding $12bn to our economy and creating up to 20,000 new, high-skilled jobs. I extend my deepest thanks to Dr Clark who has led the Agency from its infancy in 2018 and set a clear path forward.” Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said Palermo’s background in engineering, commercialisation and innovation would provide strong leadership and direction…

Since starting the business 23 years ago, in a home workshop with a Brobo saw, an MIG welder and a variety of hand tools, Bertazzo Engineered has continued to move with the latest trends and technologies as our industry has evolved over that time. I remember buying a copy of AutoCAD Release 9 on floppy discs, and a 186 computer with 4MB of RAM to run it! Back then plasma cutting machines were the norm – they followed an outline profile, and it had to be the right black ink as well. Laser cutting machines were still around 2kW and could only cut thin material, at a cost of over $1,000 per hour. Press brakes were high-tech if they had one axis back-stop. But regardless of that, I could always see that the future of metal fabrication was to run…

Prime Minister Scot Morrison has talked up a gas-fired recovery for manufacturing, raising expectations of big price reductions. However, the report from the Grattan Institute –entitled Flame out: the future of natural gas – shows that, far from fuelling recovery from the COVID-19 recession, a combination of economics and environmental imperatives will place increasing pressure on the industry. “The evidence is clear: over time, gas will decline, economically and environmentally,” says Tony Wood, Grattan Institute Energy Program Director and the report’s lead author and. “Rather than indulging in wishful thinking or living in denial, the Federal Government and the gas industry – and its customers – should start planning now for a future without natural gas, or at least with a dramatically reduced role for natural gas.” The report shows that eastern Australia faces inexorably more expensive gas. The east coast has already burned most of its low-cost gas and will not go back to the good…

With the X·treme Evo solid carbide drills from the DC160 Advance range of drills, Walter aims to forge a link to the ‘next generation of drilling’. By introducing lengths of 16 to 30 x D, the tool manufacturer its expanding its range to now include deep-hole drilling. Like its predecessor the Alpha 4XD drill, which has been established on the market for a long time now, the DC160 Advance makes deep-hole drilling possible in a single operation without pecking – and therefore boasts the advantages of XD Technology. The coating and geometry have been optimised. Just like the existing versions of the DC160 Advance, the deep-hole drills also feature the innovative new thinner web with 140° point angle and the fourth land in an advanced position. The former ensures increased positioning accuracy and reduced cutting forces in the centre, while the latter optimises the guidance of the drill. The grades of the drills (WJ30ET and WJ30EU) are another new addition. These comprise the K30F fine-grained substrate and a TiSiAlCrN/AlTiN multi-layer…

Industry 4.0 is the fourth industrial revolution that is currently transforming manufacturing through digitalisation, enabling new efficiencies and business models not previously possible. Swinburne is playing a leading role in the practical implementation of Industry 4.0 in Australia, through supporting the manufacturing industry and investing in the development of a National Industry 4.0 Testlab for Composite Additive Manufacturing in partnership with CSIRO, in addition to the Factory of the Future, Swinburne’s industry portal for Industry 4.0. Platform Industrie 4.0 Austria and Swinburne’s Industry 4.0 program have agreed to increase knowledge exchange to promote technology transfer, best practices and business model innovation between both countries. Networking efforts and links to other European centres for digital innovation will be deepened, and successful policy settings and joint submissions for research project funding will also be explored. “We are delighted to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Platform Industrie 4.0 Austria to advance the fourth industrial revolution,” said Swinburne Vice-Chancellor Professor Pascale Quester. “The digitalisation and integration of production, with state-of-the-art information and communication technology along…

The manufacturing capabilities that Australia has available within its borders have received a lot of attention this year, becoming the subject of much discussion in the media and elsewhere. Whether or not this interest will be sustained in the long term remains to be seen. Manufacturers are hoping that it will be; that the country can rebuild its industrial muscle, and that public and private procurers will look locally first. For many years the tendency for electronics manufacturers and others has been to look offshore. Elexon Electronics, a successful electronics engineering and contract manufacturing business based in Brendale, admits there are challenges to resisting this trend. However, the company is on a mission to change it. About two years ago, Elexon went through a significant growth phase due to demand for its unique mining products. At that time Elexon considered outsourcing due to capacity constraints. Instead, it decided to double its own production capacity, investing heavily in a new Industry 4.0 line, restructuring the…

Designed to provide a much-needed stimulus to Australian manufacturing businesses in the wake of COVID-19, IMCRC activate stimulates and fast-tracks R&D investment, offering access to valuable expertise and matched cash funding between $50,000 and $150,000. The first approved project of the initiative is led by Alcolizer, a Perth-based company developing a rapid saliva test for SARS-CoV-2 virus antigens using its existing drug testing technology. Alcolizer’s partnership with IMCRC and research collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) will see the project accelerate quickly in the face of the global health pandemic, evolving from a proof of concept to secure Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) readiness in just four months. As Australia emerges from the worst of the COVID-19 crisis, providing valuable and strategic support for shorter-term research projects in advanced manufacturing and digital technologies is a priority for IMCRC. David Chuter, CEO and Managing Director of IMCRC, commented: “As the fourth largest industry in Australia, manufacturing is critical to rebuilding the health of our…

“Manufacturers are now trying to adapt to the changes in conditions, especially in two major aspects,” said Hajime Sugiyama, Vice-President Factory Automation at Mitsubishi Electric. “For example how do you implement social distancing in a factory?” It’s a very interesting question, which has more permutations than most people initially consider. Starting with the individual, we can all imagine the use of face guards and masks. And indeed many industries have traditionally used such personal protection equipment (PPE), though this was driven from a hygiene or clean environment standpoint for industries producing such things as food, drugs or even sensitive electronics and semiconductors. Such PPE is not necessarily desirable in all industries. For example, in hot or humid environments the act of wearing a mask may actually increase risks of heat exhaustion, so care must be exercised in truly understanding the worker’s environment. Some…

Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the Taskforce was aimed at addressing the need to support NSW manufacturers by putting the policies in place that create local jobs and support local industry. “We currently import the more than 86,500 tonnes of steel that form the foundations for critical energy infrastructure – including some finished manufactured goods,” Barilaro said. “As we come out of this recession, we need to lead by example by backing our local supply chains, local manufacturers and local jobws. This Taskforce will make sure we have the knowledge we need to do just that, and unlock regional NSW’s renewable energy manufacturing potential.” Energy Minister Matt Kean said the Taskforce will look at everything from material sourcing and supply to contracting arrangements, and explore ways to give NSW manufacturers a competitive advantage in emerging ‘green’ supply industries. “Industry tells us we will need more than 650,000 tonnes of steel to deliver our three Renewable Energy Zones,” said Kean. “My priority is finding ways…

Pneumatic actuators, which run on compressed air, have been around since World War II. They are well-understood, cheap, and suited to harsh environments. However, they also come with their penalties. Obviously, compressed air must be generated to power them. Depending on the expansiveness of a factory, this can mean numerous compressors and/or a complicated reticulation system. A reliable level of pressure must be maintained, or pneumatics will work poorly or not at all. Air leaks can be expensive. According to a leading compressor technology company, one leak in one unit costing 15 cents/kW/hr to operate will represent well over $2,000 a year to a power bill. With a single point of failure – for example air leakage at one location – the air pressure of the whole plant will drop, and operations will be affected. Then there is the noise. “If you are working in or visiting a factory, you will usually hear…

BizAdvisers is associated with the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Business Victoria in delivering a business mentoring program to help small businesses navigate the economic challenges posed by restrictions to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). The mentoring program is at no cost to the participating business. BizAdvisers is a new association of business consulting professionals providing tailored advice helping SME's to become a cut above the rest.  With around 90 years combined executive management experience in private industry and over 30 years collective experience supporting SMEs, our BizAdvisers have helped many businesses across a broad spectrum of industries to grow and prosper. In this Victorian government program, eligible business owners can receive up to four 2-hour mentoring sessions over a 3month period with an experienced BizAdviser professional who will guide, mentor and help them make informed decisions about the future of their business. The program offers tailored guidance in several areas: Business recovery - to strengthen business recovery (cost reduction, debt and cashflow management) Market transformation - to understand how coronavirus (COVID-19) has triggered or accelerated market changes Digital literacy and engagement - to help businesses reach new customers and markets Market and supply chain…