Month: August 2021

Georges Sara began his professional life as a dental technician, but from the very start he was interested in finding ways to use new technologies and innovations in order to improve dentistry by making life easier and the outcomes better, for dentists and for patients. In 1991 he saw a lecture in which it was forecast that a new generation of ceramics was set to radically transform dental practices. The technologies required hadn’t quite matured at that point, but Georges kept the information in the back of his head, and gradually he began formulating a plan: to revolutionise dentistry through the use of state-of-the-art milling technology, CAD-CAM software and advanced materials. By 1999, Georges was ready to take the first step in bringing his plan to fruition. He acquired his first CNC milling machine and got to work researching how the technology could be used to produce crowns, bridges and other restorations for dental implants, using the…

As fossil fuels are replaced by renewable energy sources, utilities face the ongoing challenge of storing huge amounts of dispatchable energy to meet demand in off-peak or high-demand scenarios. MGA Thermal’s solution enables conversion of existing infrastructure, including coal-fired power plants, into grid-scale energy storage or creation of new supplementary infrastructure alongside solar and wind farms to provide continuous, dispatchable energy when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. MGA Thermal is built on breakthrough Miscibility Gaps Alloy (MGA) technology, extraordinary shoebox-sized blocks that are capable of receiving energy generated by renewables, storing it cheaply and safely as thermal energy, then using it to run steam turbines at thermal power stations instead of burning coal. The blocks, which can be stacked like building blocks or bricks, are able to store millions of kilowatt-hours of energy, in a cheaper, safer, and longer-lasting way compared to other dispatchable solutions. A stack of 1000 blocks — about the size of a small car — is enough energy stored to power 27 homes for…

Dr Barnes is a qualified mechanical engineer, PhD holder and STEM (Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering) advocate who presents on engineering topics concerning clean and renewable energy. Via her own YouTube channel ‘Engineering with Rosie’, Dr Barnes’s aim is to better educate people on the opportunities and impact of sound engineering on manufacturing. “There is nothing more satisfying to me as seeing a good idea turn into a good physical product,” said Barnes. “I aim to show my audience how engineering works, what kinds of problems exist and how STEM can address these challenges. My hope is that my audience gets better at thinking like an engineer and develops informed opinions about how technologies are likely to develop and assist us. The seven-part module provides an overview of manufacturing opportunities in Australia and details the six National Manufacturing Priorities. The self-guided ‘Manufacturing with Rosie’ module covers the topics of: the State of Australian Manufacturing; Space; Defence; Clean Energy & Recycling; Critical Minerals and Processing Technology; Food & Beverage;…

Zip Industries has been manufacturing and marketing Australian designed and made instant water systems since 1947. The company introduced the world’s first boiling water tap in 1970, followed in 1975 by the first on-wall instant boiling water heater. Today, Zip employs 160 people at its factory in Condell Park, in Sydney’s south-west suburbs,where it produces a wide range of hot and chilled, still and sparkling water-dispensing products that are exported to the world’s fastest growing commercial and consumer markets. The company’s flagship product, the Zip Hydrotap is also manufactured at this facility. The Hydrotap is an innovative multi-function touch tap that has revolutionised instant water dispensing and has recently made a successful debut in the huge US market. Michael Conyers, Director of Operations, Asia-Pacific at Zip, explains: “The Hydrotap is an appliance with heating and chilling functions and comprises many diverse parts. While our core competencies include sheet metal fabrication, manufacture of this product includes sub-assembly and final assembly of mechanical and electronic…

According to reports by Accurize Research, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the tubular linear motor segment worldwide is expected to reach 6.4% by 2026. Growth is particularly strong across the packaging, construction and manufacturing industries. Tubular linear motors are gaining traction in industrial applications, especially in the packaging and medical sectors, since these motors are an ideal replacement for pneumatics as they have a similar form factor but much better efficiency and reliability. Some of the biggest tubular linear motor manufacturers are expanding their product portfolio to offer flexibility in machinery used for sealing and discharge end-use cases. ANCA Motion’s LinX range of tubular linear motors offers improved performance at a competitive cost compared with conventional flat linear motors and rotary motors. Attributes that make LinX an ideal solution are its high speed and acceleration capabilities, modular design, reduced maintenance, standalone thermal stability, and ability to achieve higher IP protection. ANCA Motion primarily focuses on the food & beverage and packaging industries with its range of interfacing products…

With the world moving towards greater accountability in sustainable production and clean energy generation, the manufacturing industry is expected to follow suit. The move to greater sustainability will see less reliance on energy-intensive and greenhouse gas emissions-heavy processes. Biomanufacturing is a type of manufacturing process that uses biological matter to produce commercially important biomaterials and biomolecules for use in a range of areas including medicines, food and beverage processing, and industrial applications. Industrial biomanufacturing currently relies heavily on sugar-containing growth media such as glucose and sucrose which are also used as foods. As biomanufacturing expands and accountability for sustainable practices increases, new and innovative compounds will be required to meet the expected growth. While current methods of biomanufacturing using non-food sugar inputs are limited, an international group of researchers is reshaping industrial biomanufacturing and moving away from sugar-based options to find more sustainable alternatives. Using genetic engineering techniques, researchers are looking at using manufacturing by-products that currently contribute to global warming,…

Based in Canning Vale, VEEM is a designer and manufacturer of disruptive, high-technology marine propulsion and stabilisation systems for the global luxury motor yacht, fast ferry, commercial workboat and defence industries. The purpose of the order – designated by BAESMA as a “targeted task” – enables VEEM to formally demonstrate it has the propeller manufacturing capability to deliver into the HCFP supply chain. VEEM has delivered similar blades to defence clients globally, and is confident it can deliver the required accuracy for the Hunter Class program. VEEM will produce the pilot propeller blade under the guidance of Kongsberg Maritime, one of the platform equipment providers for Type 26, the reference ship design for the Hunter class frigates. If VEEM can successfully demonstrate its capability, Kongsberg Maritime will be able to continue the development of VEEM towards manufacture of propeller and brake blades for the Hunter program. In coming months, BAESMA is expected to issue a ‘request for proposal’ (RFP) for the propeller and brake…

All six manufacturing sectors in the Australian PMI expanded in July (readings above 50 points indicate expansion in activity, with higher results indicating a faster rate of expansion), with machinery & equipment (up 0.2 points to 65.0), metal products (up 2.2 points to 62.3) and chemicals (up 1.0 point to 66.1) all reaching record highs. All seven activity indices in the Australian PMI expanded in July, although three moderated slightly from the previous month (see table below). New orders remained in expansionary territory but fell from a record high in June (down 8.1 points to 62.5), while production expanded in most states and territories (up 1.1 points to 61.8) but was lower in NSW due to lockdowns. Some exporters noted difficulty finding empty shipping containers, with the exports index dropping 6.6 points to 53.6. Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox said: “While COVID-19 outbreaks and associated restrictions in some states undoubtedly dampened the upswing in activity and shook confidence,…