Industry News

Construction & demolition (C&D) in Australia produces 19 million tons of waste every year, accounting for approximately 40% of the country’s total waste generation. It isn’t surprising then that the C&D waste management industry is an upcoming one in the country, with immense scope for business growth and employment generation. Presently, there are more than 500 active businesses in the C&D waste management industry in the country, making it a strong supplier of jobs and resources to the economy. As the name suggests, C&D waste is what gets generated from demolition activities at construction sites – either residential or commercial. Such waste typically comprises timber, concrete, wood, metals, plastics, cardboard and mixed site debris such as soil and rocks. Since C&D waste incurs heavy landfill levy costs, recycling it is a more cost-effective approach. As a result, most C&D waste in Australia gets recycled. In most Australian states, recovery rates are at…

Dr Foley is a world-renowned physicist and science leader most noted for her work developing superconducting devices and systems which have assisted in unearthing over $6bn in minerals worldwide. Dr Foley will start in the role at the end of September. She said her priority will be promoting science, STEM and women in science. “Australia’s future prosperity will be fuelled by science,” Dr Foley said. “Science which creates new industries, new jobs and shapes the minds and aspirations of our future leaders. We can’t keep thinking about science as something which is locked away in a lab. It connects and drives everything we touch and do. I’m looking forward to not just spreading the word, but helping shape the science agenda and raising the profile of the role of women in STEM.” Dr Foley is currently the Deputy Director and Science Director of CSIRO’s manufacturing business unit. She has been an advocate for women in science, for the communication of science and…

Based in High Wycombe, FBR designs, develops and builds construction robots that can work in demanding outdoor environments. Hadrian X is a construction robot mounted on a truck to easily transport it to and from building sites. It has been designed with the smallest possible worksite footprint, while maintaining a 30m reach. Using FBR’s core Dynamic Stabilisation Technology (DST), Hadrian X measures movement caused by wind, vibration and inertia, and counteracts it in real time using advanced algorithms to lay bricks with unprecedented precision. Although Hadrian X can lay standard house bricks, it is optimised to work with the Fastbrick Wall System, which uses blocks approximately 12 times bigger than standard bricks and are lighter, stronger and designed to minimise waste. The blocks are fused together using a special adhesive, which bonds in just 45 minutes, holds stronger and results in greater thermal and acoustic properties than traditional mortar. According to FBR, it will take Hadrian X between one and three days to build the walls of a home, depending…

Under the theme ‘Strategies for Manufacturing Resilience and Growth’, the 2018 AMTIL National Conference will be held at Leonda by the Yarra in Hawthorn, Victoria, on 22 August. The one-day event will take delegates on a learning journey that will help them to build resilience in their businesses, explore opportunities for growth beyond their traditional avenues, and inspire them to think outside the square. These themes will be explored in a program that encompasses every aspect of running a business today, touching on issues ranging from the relevance of automation for small manufacturers, through to how you can develop effective leadership, communication and relationship-building skills, and much, much more. To address these themes, AMTIL has assembled an impressive roster of experts who will be speaking at the Conference. Inspiring speakers Iconic athlete Deanna Blegg will deliver the closing address at the 2018 AMTIL National Conference, in which she will be discussing ‘Personal Resilience’. In 1994, at the age of just 24, Deanna was diagnosed with HIV after…

Under the direction of Managing Director Eric Woodgate, Shamic rapidly gained the excellent reputation it has today for providing high-quality sheet metal units and parts for a wide range of customers – from small producers to large multinational companies including motor vehicles, electrical and electronic products and industrial components and parts. In 1985, the sheet metal specialists began manufacturing wood heaters, acquiring the rights to an array of well-known heater brands between 1998 and 2001, with gas heaters added to their impressive portfolio in 2001. Having grown extensively over the years, in 1998 Shamic moved to a larger manufacturing and warehousing facility in Croydon, Victoria. Today, Shamic manufactures and sells the full range of HeatCharm, Arrow and Coonara wood and gas heaters across Australia through a huge network of more than 150 distributors. With strong relationships with distributors across the country, Shamic prides itself on staying true to Australian suppliers and the industry, employing expert staff to support the local market. Remaining competitive Shamic provides a vast service offering for its customers, manufacturing…

AWRE is Australia’s leading event showcasing the latest developments in waste, recycling and resource recovery. Visitors to the show can find cost-effective solutions and stay-up-to-date with the industry trends and policies. Now in its ninth year, AWRE connects all corners of the industry, including waste management professionals, commercial enterprises, industry associations and representatives from all levels of government. Close to 2,000 waste management professionals, business leaders and government representatives are expected to attend the two-day event, which takes place at a vital time for Australia’s waste and recycling industry. “With new regulations and China’s import ban turning Australia’s waste and recycling industry on its head, AWRE couldn’t come at a better time for industry professionals looking to improve their waste disposal and resource recovery,” says Andrew Lawson, AWRE event manager. “With current market challenges as they are, AWRE 2018 is set to be Australia’s most important waste management expo ever.” AWRE connects industry professionals, service providers, product manufacturers and industry associations across the different waste streams, offering unique collaboration opportunities throughout the…

Based in Lytton, Queensland, ART has developed Metaltek XB1200, an advanced robotic structural steel processing system that has the potential to help Australian firms better compete with cheap imported fabricators through lower costs, quicker turnaround and superior accuracy. David White, Director of ART, said the grant funding would enable the company to transition from research & development (R&D) to a production product. “This grant will help us cover the costs of building and installing a prototype system here at our Brisbane facility,” White said. “It will also help us complete and transport a display model they we can use for real-world demonstrations in Australia and overseas. This will help us generate leads with companies that are crying out for this kind of product, because we’ll be able to actively demonstrate the efficiency of this system in an industry neutral environment.” To mark the awarding of the grant, ART was visited by Senator Michaelia Cash, Federal Minister for Jobs and Innovation, and Ross Vasta, the Federal Member for Bonner.  Vasta…

The University’s Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies has joined the Airbus Global University Partner Programme, the only Australian university to be part of the program. The partnership allows the University and Airbus to collaborate in a number of areas: Funding students and activities, enabling participation in innovation programs at Airbus facilities around the world, where students will use their university learning to tackle industry challenges, learning more about the aeronautical industry. Giving aerospace, mechanical and mechatronics engineering students access to Airbus’s 100-strong campus team. Allowing students to partake in global exchanges such as the annual Airbus Airnovation Summer Academy. A total of 22 universities in 12 different countries currently participate in the program. The University’s Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies Dean Professor Willy says the new partnership complements what students learn on campus. “This program gives students the best available insights into the opportunities available in the aviation and aerospace industries,” said Zwaenepoel. “It’s a two-way street. The University’s mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing engineering program is the highest-ranked in Australia.…

The Australian PMI has indicated positive conditions for 22 consecutive months, but the pace of growth has slowed from a record high (63.1 points) in March 2018 (readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase). Of the seven activity sub-indexes in the Australian PMI, three expanded, three were stable and one contracted in July. The sales sub-index tends to be volatile around the end of the financial year and dropped 15.7 points to 45.5 – its lowest result since early 2016. The new orders sub-index fell 6.5 points to 51.1, suggesting modest activity growth for most parts of manufacturing in the months ahead. The input prices sub-index eased by 2.2 points but remained elevated at 68.1 in July, while wages lifted 1.8 points to 60.6 points. A sharp drop in manufacturing employment growth was also evident in July (down 7.8 points to 50.3 points). “Infrastructure projects continue to support demand for manufacturing products, but rising energy costs…

With the theme ‘Strategies for Manufacturing Resilience and Growth’, this year’s Conference will provide delegates with insights and strategies that can help them to build resilience in their businesses, capitalise on opportunities for growth beyond the traditional routes, and think outside the square. The one-day event offers a program that touches on every aspect of life in a manufacturing business today, looking into issues ranging from the relevance of automation for small manufacturers, through to ways that managers can develop effective leadership, communication and relationship-building skills, and a whole lot more. We have put together a great program and a terrific array of speakers, who will be informing you at the Conference. I get asked all the time by manufacturers that want a chance to get into the defence industry: how do I do it? Well, come and hear what is involved in being a supplier to a major US defence company. Rick Shalders is the Director of Raytheon Australia’s Industry Development Unit. His presentation,…

Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are in the best position to excel in advanced manufacturing because their size makes them agile; allowing them to be more flexible, innovative and take more risks. However, their barriers to long term growth are their lack of planning and organising. The Industry 4.0 era, is one of automation and data exchange, with new markets, new products, new technologies and new ways to manufacture existing goods. For an SME to succeed in Industry 4.0, the question manufacturers need to ask is, where do we want to go and how do we get there? The answer is reliant on two key factors: Assessing practical areas of business management - namely strategy. Utilising grants to help develop their strategic plan and increase budgets. Getting strategy right – redefine the long-term Technology is an ongoing strategic negotiation that challenges businesses to evolve rapidly. The rapid pace of change means business owners have to work in compressed timeframes, making it harder to plan.…

Founded in Sydney in 1981, Cochlear is a global leader in implantable hearing solutions. The company has a global workforce of 3,500 people and invests more than $150m a year in research & development. Products include hearing systems for cochlear, bone conduction and acoustic implants. Over 450,000 people of all ages, across more than 100 countries, now hear because of Cochlear. Cochlear has completed the final phase of redevelopment at the Newstead site, which it has owned since 2007 when the company acquired the manufacturing operations of Brisbane company Crystalaid. Currently around 200 people are employed on the site, with 130 working in direct manufacturing and logistics, 40 working in engineering, and the remainder in administration and operations. The new facility has been built for growth in mind, with Cochlear planning to expand and take on more employees, commencing in early 2019, plus ongoing training and upskilling for staff currently employed. Cameron Dick, State Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure & Planning, and Grace Grace, State Minister for Education and Minister for Industrial Relations,…

There are a lot of issues with the so-called ‘Open Innovation’ model – a prime example of course is ownership of intellectual property (IP). This has the potential to be a minefield if not properly understood and managed. However, before we go too far down the path of collaboration and open innovation, it may first be useful to agree on what we even mean by innovation, a word that seems to have been corrupted by so many, achieving nothing more that turning the simple into the complex! It can be argued that innovation is the basis for all things new and better. But what inspires innovation and new ideas? More to the point, what is the link between an innovative or inventive idea and an outcome? If we think of innovation when applied to building a business and making money, we need to think about the risks in business. In most cases when…