Month: October 2021

Springs are everywhere but invisible, at least if you’re not looking. And nobody looks for springs. But your house, for example, is full of them. “In construction there’s a number of products that we manufacture, and garage door springs are one of our larger production lines,” explains Chris Watt, Sales & Marketing Manager at Marsh Alliance, of some of their uses by the company’s construction customer base. “Most garage doors and industrial roller shutters would have a spring appropriate to the size of the door to allow for balancing and easy lifting of the door. “We also promote a number of products in the HVAC industry, from both our springs and pressed componentry divisions, for various subassemblies that installers would utilise within the larger construct of HVAC. Additionally suspension ceiling systems are a consistent part of our business, producing componentry that goes into suspended ceiling board systems.” Watt’s company was known as Marsh Springs…

The MMFI is an interdisciplinary research hub delivering tangible solutions to emerging global problems by studying, building, and transforming the future of materials innovation and advanced manufacturing. Through the MMFI, Australian manufacturers have access to state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing research and problem-solving skills coupled with the technology to address the barriers and opportunities in material sciences and advanced manufacturing, with diverse applications in printed electronics, transport, energy, information technology, and health. Professor Sean Li, the Institute’s director, said: “MMFI has the research expertise and infrastructure to support local industry. It also has access to other skills within UNSW such as science, chemistry, electrical engineering, and medical science, providing an even broader skillset that can be tapped. Not only can MMFI come up with a theory, we can use the in-house resources to test it, make changes, and in a short timeframe, produce a practical, real-world solution.” Matthew Hunter, Innovation Product Marketing Manager at Konica…

The signs are good for Australian manufacturing. The Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) has seen a long run of strong results. In addition, AMTIL has endorsed the optimism surrounding the metals manufacturing sector in its AMT magazine. Articles have highlighted government grant funding to over 90 companies, buoyant sales for the Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) exhibition, and rocketing student interest in manufacturing careers. The nucleus of this resurgence was the Manufacturing Taskforce, led by Andrew Liveris, whose work has resulted in the Federal Government’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy. However, Liveris stressed the plan involved more than just current funding initiatives; it is a decade-long transformation plan involving all stakeholders: government, unions, industry bodies, the education sector, and industry itself. To accelerate this transformation, various conditions must be met. That manufacturing remains ‘top of mind’ in the economy’s rebuilding and is not subsumed by political short-termism. That a climate of ‘bottom-up’…

Presented at this year’s Cooperative Research Australia (CRA) Collaborate | Innovate 2021 conference, the award recognises outstanding examples of research collaboration that address industry-specific problems for the benefit of Australian industry and the economy. With funding from IMCRC, in 2017, Brisbane-based design and manufacturing company Urban Art Projects (UAP) embarked on an $8m design robotics research project in partnership with Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and RMIT University (RMIT). By investing in robotic vision systems and developing smart user-interfaces, UAP streamlined its ability to manufacture bespoke artwork and architecture pieces here in Australia. As part of the project, UAP also opened its factory doors to local manufacturing SMEs to share research outcomes and education on how robots and other emerging technologies can assist in manufacturing high-value products. This ‘open innovation’ approach led to the formation of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub in Brisbane. QUT Associate Professor Jared Donovan, who accepted the award on behalf of the Design Robotics team, thanked all participants for their…

TCL Hofmann joined the Stratasys channel network since 2019 and has supplied leading-edge 3D printing technologies to manufacturing companies and organisations to help them upscale their businesses and optimise results. With strong teams in Melbourne and Sydney, and sister company TCL Hunt in New Zealand’s major cities, TCL Hofmann’s success has developed from the broad supply of quality products to a range of industries through to the highest levels of service and advisory, pre- and post-sale support, and servicing. COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on the manufacturing industry, testing the resilience and flexibility of manufacturers across the globe as they deal with high levels of uncertainty in production scheduling, raw material sourcing and workforce dependency. TCL Hofmann has demonstrated its ability in delivering a strong customer service experience, and its appointment as a Stratasys Platinum Partner comes at a time when more and more Australian enterprises are embracing 3D printing. Organisations such as Cobalt Design, the Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU) motor-racing team and Bendigo Tech…

Since Darren Aldridge took over the business from his father Mike, the company has been expanding its services, originally starting in material handling and diversifying into general fabrication. With up to 12 workers on the floor and out on site on any given day, a top priority is to ensure premium product quality and production efficiency by using high-quality welding equipment and gas. Alltype Engineers faced a challenge when it won its largest ever order to weld aluminium trench shoring boxes. Trench shoring boxes are made from aluminium and placed in the ground on excavation sites to provide stability in trenches and keep workers safe. To meet the requirement of this order, it was essential that the company had the best equipment and gases on hand to increase staff productivity and save time. Meeting demand Working in a busy workshop with large projects and tight deadlines meant time was of the essence. With customer demands increasing, Alltype Engineers took a holistic view of its services…

ICN provides manufacturers with connections, contacts and advice to help unlock opportunities across Australia and even globally. At the heart of ICN is ICN Gateway, which introduces manufacturers big and small to projects of all sizes across Australia and New Zealand. A platform comprising suppliers, buyers, government and market analysts, ICN Gateway is a network that is helping Australian manufacturers access new opportunities. By creating a profile listing on ICN Gateway, Australian Made licensees can be listed on a publicly searchable database, search project opportunities and submit expressions of interest for individual project opportunities. This database also provides a hub for project owners to identify potential suppliers, including Aussie manufacturers. With a number of ICN subscribers already proudly showcasing the green and gold Australian Made logo on their ICN Gateway business profile, the establishment of a formal industry partnership works to foster a stronger local manufacturing environment. Warren Jansen, Executive Director of ICN Limited, noted that ICN’s core purpose lay in its desire…

Nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees in south-western France is the small town of Lavelanet. The town is home to Mecaprec, a precision machining company with clients that include some of the world’s biggest aeronautics businesses. It’s also the hometown of the company’s CEO Jean-Marc Gomez. “I acquired the company in 2008,” Gomez says. “At the time, it employed 12 people and had annual sales of some €780,000. I was very keen to invest in my hometown and provide employment for local people, so it was a natural fit. Around that time, I also met Christian Gil. He told me that if I took the company over, he’d come in as my workshop manager, and he’s been there ever since. He’s passionate about machine tooling, too, and together we have built an amazing team of people – we love what we do!” Mecaprec was a company with genuine expertise in terms of…

Event organiser Nicci Rossouw of Exaptec Robotics says the recognition and support of innovative businesses such as ANCA play a vital role in the growth and development of the robotics industry here in Australia. “Since its inception back in 1974, ANCA has consistently proven how the embrace of new and emerging technology can provide businesses with an edge over their competition,” says Rossouw. “To have the support of world-beating companies such as ANCA underpins the potential for Australia to continue to take a leadership role in the development of cutting-edge robotics and AI technology. And this is what Generate22 is all about; sharing, educating, collaborating and growing the industry right here in Australia.” ANCA co-founder Pat Boland says the company chose to support Generate22 in response to the need to foster an understanding and interest in STEM subjects, while also building capacity in these areas. “We are so proud of what we are achieving with ANCA, building a world-class advanced manufacturing company that designs and…

HC-ATM prides itself on manufacturing high-quality truck, trailer and tooling aftermarket parts for the heavy transport industry. Trading under the name of Australian Truck & Trailer Parts, it is regarded as an essential supplier to Australian distributors and major transport brands, and has experienced an increase in demand for its products during COVID lockdowns. Directors Peter Henderson and Greg Hudson first acquired the business’ assets in 2010 from a Brisbane manufacturer that was closing. Both Henderson and Hudson had worked together in IT, before creating Australian Tool Manufacturers, as the business was known then. Henderson and Hudson are still the majority investors in the business, and together with Murray Curti running daily operations, they form a team that has been able to implement advanced manufacturing concepts with their key staff. The wide range of products made in their factory can compete with imports both on price and quality. Henderson says that when Curti came onboard, it was to help them develop and streamline…

Adarsh is a private family business founded in 1995 and is part of a group of companies employing more than 80 personnel. The group offers CNC machining, casting and forging, fabrication, wire cutting and plastics manufacturing. Adarsh enjoys longstanding recognition in Western Australia for its production of high-quality components. Its sales are nationwide with a significant percentage of components going to export via the end clients. Today the company services a diverse range of industries such as mining, defence, sub-sea projects, automotive and agriculture. It is expanding further into the health sector, having been involved in the production of high-quality face shields for WA’s frontline health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, working with biomedical engineers from East Metropolitan Health Services Centre for Implant Technology and Retrieval Analysis. With reshoring of competitive component manufacturing to Australia, Adarsh is playing its part with the training of apprentices. Two are currently in training, and Adarsh has a close working relationship with the local TAFE training colleges. Adarsh has a longstanding relationship…