Industry News

AMT: Tell us about CEDA and what its aims and objectives are as an organisation. Melinda Cilento: CEDA has been around for about 60 years now. We are a member-based organisation; we’re passionately committed to advancing good public policy debates in Australia with a view to driving better policy outcomes that support social and economic development in Australia.   AMT: What areas of policy are you seeking to influence? MC: I’m relatively new to the role. For me, the priority this year is to actually take a bit of a step back from the agenda that we’ve had in recent years and reaffirm our purpose by exploring the whole concept of economic development. It’s a phrase we use in our title, but when you think about a country that’s now grown consistently for 27 years, and we are an advanced developed economy, I think it’s time to circle back to the concept of economic development and have a conversation about what that actually means, what we think…

FUTUREMAP is a business diagnostic tool specifically developed for small-to-medium (SME) manfuacturers by the IMCRC in collaboration with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) and the Federal Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme. Through either one-on-one structured discussions or interactive group workshops, FUTUREMAP enables participating manufacturers to map the current state of their business and identify where they can lift their awareness, competitiveness and build resilience against 13 key areas of industrial and advanced manufacturing competitiveness. The IMCRC will be facilitating the first FUTUREMAP interactive workshops at NMW, providing Australian SME manufacturers with an opportunity to identify areas of focus and potential investment to transform and future-proof their business in a rapidly digitalised world. David Chuter, CEO and Managing Director of the IMCRC, is confident that FUTUREMAP, as one of the first business diagnostic programs designed specifically for the Australian SME manufacturing sector, will become an engaging and valuable resource for the broader industry and potentially beyond. “The intent of FUTUREMAP is to…

April marked a 19th consecutive month of expanding or stable conditions for the Australian PMI – the longest run of continuous expansion since 2005. Readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase . Six of the eight manufacturing sub-sectors expanded in April (according to trend data), with four sub-sectors reaching record highs in trend terms: machinery & equipment (up 1.0 point to 61.2); petroleum, coal & chemicals (up 0.4 points to 67.6); metal products (up 1.6 points to 63.8); and textiles, clothing & furniture (up 5.6 points to 57.1). Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox said: “The manufacturing sector extended its broad-based expansionary run in April. Growth was led by the machinery & equipment; metal products; coal, petroleum, chemical & rubber products; and non-metallic mineral product sub-sectors, all of which are enjoying strong demand from high levels of building and construction activity. The largest manufacturing sub-sector – food & beverages –…

The Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL) is the peak national body for the precision engineering and advanced manufacturing sector in Australia. Having a stand enables it to show its support for AMTIL members visiting or exhibiting at NMW, while also providing the opportunity to engage with Australian manufacturing businesses more generally and discuss the ways it can help them. For AMTIL members, ‘Happy Hour’ drinks will be held on the Wednesday and Thursday of the show (9 and 10 May) , from 4.00pm at the AMTIL stand. Any members at the show are invited to drop by the AMTIL stand for refreshments and a chat. AMTIL has a long-standing relationship with NMW, having co-located its own Austech exhibition with NMW for many years, and continuing to do so every second year in Melbourne. AMTIL’s participation in this…

Intensified networking and miniaturisation Digitalisation is changing the connection technology environment, as an increasing number of products and even individual components can and need to communicate. This means an increasing volume of data must be transmitted at increasingly fast speeds – something familiar in offices for years is now moving into the factories. Continuous increases in the performance of microchips are not only driving digitalisation but also – in conjunction with efforts to improve resource efficiency – are resulting in a move towards increasingly smaller and more compact products and devices. A smartphone now has the processing power of a 1990s supercomputer but at a fraction of the size, energy consumption and price. This is having a big impact on industrial connection technology. Robots and other machines are becoming more compact and demanding an increasing number of data connections. Special cable designs and technical tricks – such as insulation, for example – help to save…

The movement of goods from A to B may seem a simple process on paper for the average consumer. But it has taken years of development, progress and innovation to reach this level of streamlining, and that process is only becoming faster and more efficient. For the industrial supply chain, this can be an intricate process, involving a variety of stakeholders with countless variables to consider along the way when moving goods from one place to another. Road, rail, air and sea transport, warehousing, packaging services – there are many different facets involved in the process and adding value to every step of the supply chain. Giving the freight and logistics providers, and their customers – manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers – the opportunity to see the businesses, technology and innovation leading the cutting edge of progress within the Australian and international supply chain firsthand is one way to help the industry…

In CNC systems, the design of a mechanical part and its manufacturing program is highly automated. The part’s mechanical dimensions are defined using computer-aided design (CAD) software, and then translated into manufacturing directives by computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software. The resulting directives are transformed by post-processor software into the specific commands necessary for the chosen machine to produce the component. What that means, in simple terms, is that the days of “one man, one machine” are now a fast-fading memory. One programmer at a computer console can program, implement, and supervise machine work that would be the equivalent of several operators on lathes, grinders, routers, mills, and shapers in earlier times. Computer-controlled, automated machining methods can achieve reaches, holds, and other actions that human operators and conventional machines typically don’t do efficiently. Generally, lathes and machining centres have two axes, but more sophisticated models have more, allowing for more advanced jobs to be…

Broens began operations in Sydney’s south-west suburbs in 1979. Thriving as a manufacturer providing subcontract toolmaking and general engineering services, it soon diversified into sectors such as automotive, aerospace, medical, mining and heavy industry. In 2007, it took over two companies in Elizabeth, northern Adelaide – Static Engineering and Calbic Engineering – and consolidated them to form Broens SA. By then, Broens was a globally respected provider of design, manufacturing and engineering solutions, exporting to more than 16 countries and involved in projects such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the F35 Joint Strike Fighter. However, towards the end of 2016, the company was placed into liquidation. At that point Adelaide City Engineering Pty Ltd came into the story. Adelaide City Engineering was formed in 2003 by Timothy Lillie as a new venture. The aim of the business was to provide quality services with continual improvement to its customers while also providing a safe…

The Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame recognises exemplary companies in the manufacturing industry. This year’s event is being delivered in partnership with the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). The theme of this year’s awards is Advancing Victorian Manufacturing, highlighting innovation and the strengths of Victorian companies in advanced manufacturing. There will also be a new award, Woman Manufacturer of the Year, to recognise outstanding women working in the manufacturing industry. Other categories include Young Manufacturer of the Year, Manufacturer of the Year and Leader in Workforce Skills Development and Company Induction. Awards will also be given to companies operating in high-growth manufacturing sectors: transport, defence & construction technologies; medical technology and pharmaceuticals; new energy technologies; and food & fibre. “I’m proud that this year’s awards feature the new Woman Manufacturer of the Year award, recognising all of the women in the sector breaking down barriers and succeeding in their careers,” said Victorian Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll. “These awards are all about celebrating advanced…

Having a stand enables AMTIL to show our support for members visiting or exhibiting at NMW, while also providing the opportunity to engage with Australian manufacturing businesses more generally and discuss the ways it can help them. For our members, there’ll also be ‘Happy Hour’ drinks at the stand from 4.00pm on the Wednesday and Thursday of the show (9 and 10 May). So any members at the show should drop by Stand 3426 for refreshments and a chat. AMTIL’s presence at NMW will also serve as a curtain-raiser for an extensive program of events that we have planned between now and May of next year. Most notable among these will be the 2018 AMTIL National Conference, which will be held at Leonda by the Yarra in Hawthorn, Melbourne, on 22 August. The one-day event follows on from last year’s highly successful inaugural Conference, held at the same venue. Conference plans taking shape This year the theme for the AMTIL National Conference will be…

Using an innovative and progressive business model, Flow Power tackles the issue of price and environment with a unique offering. Its renewable power, sourced from Ararat Wind Farm, can be used in real time to offset grid electricity consumption, potentially saving thousands of dollars in energy costs. ANCA, a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines, will now buy its power from Ararat Wind Farm through a power purchasing agreement (PPA) to access fixed rates for long-term savings. While very common around the world, this deal is one of the first in Australia. The generation is offset against the business’s use, so that when ANCA uses more than what is generated in an interval, Flow Power sources additional electricity from the wholesale market to power the operation. When ANCA uses less, there is an option to selling the electricity back to Flow Power at an agreed price or back to the wholesale market. “At ANCA we are always looking for…

The free-to-attend event offers unrivalled access to renowned exhibitors and world-class speakers over three days. Themed ‘Where Innovation Meets Opportunity’ in recognition of the leads, lessons and partnerships formed at the event each year, NMW 2018 will focus on and explore the impact of digital transformation, innovative design and business management on the manufacturing industry. The exhibition area will showcase more than 150 exhibits by leading companies from around the world, across 12 Product Zones: advanced materials, additive manufacturing, automation & robotics, electrical, engineering, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), machine tools, packaging and plastics, industrial safety, supply chain and logistics, warehousing and materials handling, and welding technology. This year’s speaker program also features a leading-edge series of seminars, showcases, workshops and networking sessions. The event will host 40 presenters including Dresden Optics Founder Bruce Jeffreys, Plastfix’s CEO Mario Dimovsk, Apollo Kitchens’ Managing Director Peter Bader, AusIndustry’s Director of Accelerating Commercialisation Larry Lopez, and SSS Manufacturing’s CEO Chris Brugeaud. “National Manufacturing Week is Australia’s only fully integrated annual manufacturing exhibition, and provides an unrivalled opportunity for delegates to…

The Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation Hub (TMI Hub) at Flinders University’s Tonsley campus in Adelaide is designed to accelerate the adoption of Industry 4.0 technology among high-tech and manufacturing businesses, as well as fostering research & development. The launch of the state-of-the-art facility comes at a time when the Australian economy is transitioning from a traditional manufacturing base to more digitalised, knowledge-based industries following the end of automotive manufacturing with the closure of Holden’s Adelaide plant late last year. The TMI Hub was officially opened on 9 February by South Australian Manufacturing and Innovation Minister Kyam Maher. The Minister said it was important to ensure the advanced manufacturing workforce and companies had the ability to compete globally in niche markets as the economy transitioned. “Industry 4.0 is the next technological wave that will create opportunities for South Australia’s advanced manufacturers to diversify into growth sectors such as defence, food and health,” said Maher. “The TMI Hub will further cement Tonsley’s reputation as a global centre of excellence for industry and research collaboration, with…