Industry News

William Buck is a leading firm of chartered accountants and advisors with offices across Australia and New Zealand. Established in 1895, it has more than 70 directors and 500 professional staff, and is wholly owned and operated in Australia and New Zealand. As a longstanding service partner to AMTIL, William Buck offers AMTIL members the opportunity to benefit from a broad range of accounting and business services including specialist tax advice, audit, wealth creation and superannuation. The AMTIL National Conference will explore the theme ‘Manufacturing’s Future in a Digital Age’. The one-day event will focus on the latest trends in digitalisation and the ways in which emerging technologies will impact our industry in both the short and the longer term. The Conference will present a unique opportunity to learn about the trends and developments that will shape and define Australian manufacturing in the coming years, as well as to network and celebrate our industry. Anyone with an interest in manufacturing and its future is invited to attend…

The Conference will focus on the latest trends in digitalisation and the ways in which emerging technologies will impact our industry in both the short and the longer term. The Conference will present a unique opportunity to learn about the trends and developments that will shape and define Australian manufacturing in the coming years, as well as to network and celebrate our industry. Anyone with an interest in manufacturing and its future is invited to attend the Conference, which will be held at Leonda by the Yarra, in Hawthorn, Victoria. “Things like Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things, robotics & automation and big data are all over the headlines at the moment, yet there’s still also a lot of uncertainty about what all these developments are going to mean for manufacturers in practical terms,” says AMTIL’s CEO Shane Infanti. “The Conference follows on from the Digitalisation Pavilion that we ran…

AMTIL regularly sends a delegation to the major overseas exhibitions, and EMO is a show that has to be seen to be believed. Held every two years, the six-day event occupies 17 enormous halls on a sprawling exhibition complex on the outskirts of the city of Hannover. Under the motto of ‘Connecting Systems for Intelligent Production’, this year’s event brought together more than 2,200 exhibitors from 44 different nations showcasing the latest machines, solutions and services for industrial production. Among those exhibitors was AMTIL, which had a booth within the International Associations area of the show, alongside manufacturing assocations from countries all over the world. As well as enabling us to provide information and advice about manufacturing in Australia to anyone who came by the stand, it offered the opportunity to network and interact with those other associations, sharing insights about the state of the industry and exploring opportunities to collaborate. Moreover, having a fixed presence on the exhibition floor meant we were able to support any Australians who were visiting the show, offering…

AMTIL service partner Rigby Cooke Lawyers recently appointed Accredited Workplace Relations Specialist Simone Caylock to the firm’s partnership. Simone has worked closely with companies within the manufacturing industry for over 10 years, including at the Australian Industry Group. We sat down with Simone to look to the future of workplace relations in manufacturing. AMT: What are the key challenges manufacturers face in managing their workforce and how can they overcome them? Simone Caylock: Attracting and retaining skilled employees, including engaging the next generation of workers, are key challenges. Businesses that are successful in doing so are being proactive, including by: building relationships with schools, training organisations and local councils; identifying career paths for employees (including in overseas operations); and using social media and other tools to promote their business as an attractive workplace and culture by telling their good news story. Many manufacturers are also experiencing challenges associated with an ageing workforce, including concerns around fitness for work, ensuring they have the right…

Parkin’s achievements as a football player and coach are peerless. He captained Hawthorn Football Club to its second premiership in 1971, then coached the team to a flag in 1978. He went on to coach Carlton Football Club to back-to-back Premierships in 1981-82, as well as leading them to a record-breaking number of victories in 1995, which culminated with them again becoming Premiers. Parkin’s accomplishments have seen his talents transferred from the sporting and academic arenas to the world of business. He originally trained as a primary school teacher and has spent over two decades in teacher education. A lecturer in Sports and Exercise Science at Deakin University, he recently increased his media commitments with Foxtel’s AFL coverage as a panel member on the weekly show Fox League Teams and as a regular commentator for ABC Radio. David will discuss “Life: The Importance of Balance in the Life of a Business Entrepreneur”. Date: Thursday 19 October…

Preparations for the show are now entering their final stages, with work now underway at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre to ensure everything is ready when the event begins on Tuesday. It marks the culmination of a long and complicated process in making Austech a reality, with the exhibition space fully booked well in advance, and pre-registrations from prospective visitors already very strong. According to AMTIL Event Manager and Austech organiser Kim Banks, the enthusiasm shown both by exhibitors and by people planning to visit the show, is indicative of an willingness across the industry to invest and build for the future. “We’ve definitely seen a big surge in confidence this time round,” says AMTIL Event Manager and Austech organiser Kim Banks. “We saw bookings come in a lot earlier than usual, filling the venue way ahead of schedule. What’s also very exciting is the number of exhibitors who are coming back to the show after not participating for the last few years. It’s all looking very exciting.” Held at…

With additive manufacturing continuing to revolutionise every sector of the manufacturing industry, Austech has consistently provided a showcase for the technology as it has developed over the years, to the point where the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion has now become an unmissable part of the show. At Austech 2017, the focus on additive manufacturing is more comprehensive than ever. The Additive Manufacturing Pavilion will feature demonstrations of the latest 3D printers and services from a range of companies and organisations that are leading the field of additive manufacturing. Exhibitors in the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion include: 3D Printing Systems Amaero Engineering Bilby 3D Pty Ltd evok3d ExOne Imaginables Pty Ltd Konica Minolta Objective 3D Pty Ltd Raise 3D Rapid Advanced Manufacturing Australia RMIT University Scan-xpress Thinglab This year, Austech is once again proud to be teaming up with Inside 3D Printing to co-host the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion. Inside 3D Printing will also be hosting an impressive two-day conference…

Making its first appearance in Austech 2013, the Manufacturers’ Pavilion is a specially dedicated area created to shine a light on Australia’s precision engineering and advanced manufacturing industry. This year more than 20 manufacturing businesses have signed up to exhibit within the Pavilion, comfortably surpassing last year’s numbers. “We’ve put a lot of work in over the last few years aimed at making the Manufacturers’ Pavilion an integral part of Austech, and this year that effort seems to be really starting to pay off,” explains AMTIL’s CEO and Exhibition Director Shane Infanti. “It’s not just the numbers of companies that are taking part, or the speed with which they signed up when space first became available. It’s also just the sheer sense of excitement that comes across when you talk to these companies.” The Manufacturers’ Pavilion showcases the capabilities of Australian component manufacturers, precision engineering firms, toolmakers, advanced manufacturers and general engineering companies the opportunity to exhibit their unique capabilities to an expected audience of more…

Manufacturing is entering a new era of rapid, drastic change. Often described as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it will see advances in areas such as robotics & automation, the interconnectivity of devices, big data and Cloud computing, that together will usher in the smart, connected factory of the future. “We’re constantly hearing about stuff like Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things and so on, but a lot of people are still in the dark about what it all means,” says AMTIL’s CEO and Exhibition Director Shane Infanti. “That’s why we decided to introduce the Digitalisation Pavilion at Austech this year. We felt a show like Austech is a great opportunity to bring together some of the key players and the latest technology in this field, so that people can come along and find out about it first-hand.” At the Digitalisation Pavilion visitors will have the chance to learn about the implications of these developments for their businesses, and discuss how they can capitalise on…

I would also like to thank our contractors who largely go unnoticed in the overall scheme of putting on such a large event but are an integral part of making it happen. So at the risk of embarrassing some companies and individuals, I write this article to thank them and give our readers some insight into the mechanics of running our show. Thank you to Michael Begg and his team at Harry the Hirer. The 4-6 months of daily pre-show email communication to ensure every “T” is crossed and every “I” dotted with our team ensured the smoothest move in to a show we have had in almost 20 years. Beggy’s unique “Sector” plan, which involved four sectors of carpet lay and stand build over three days, was well received by other contractors and certainly gave us a few laughs along the way. Also thanks to Travis Wall and his…

Australian manufacturing is enjoying its most positive outlook in years. The Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index has shown a trend of almost consistent growth since the last Austech two years ago, while signs of optimism abound throughout the industry. And this renewed confidence has been clear to see as preparations for Austech 2017 have advanced. The early interest from exhibitors, as well as the enthusiasm expressed by people planning to visit the show, have provided a vivid illustration of an energy and eagerness across the industry to invest and build for the future. “We’ve definitely seen a big surge in confidence this time round,” says AMTIL Event Manager and Austech organiser Kim Banks. “Bookings have been coming in a lot earlier than usual, to the point where we’re well on our way to filling the venue way ahead of schedule. What’s also very exciting is the number of exhibitors who are coming back to the show after not participating for the last few years. It’s…

Rigby Cooke Lawyers is a full service law firm providing commercial expertise and industry knowledge to private and public sector clients across Australia. With origins that can be traced back to the 1840s, we have earned our reputation of achieving success for – and with – our clients, by remaining adaptive to change. We do this by understanding each of our clients’ businesses and industry, and by staying at the forefront of changes in technology and legislation. This is because, above all else, we remain true to our mission, Our People: Your Success. Our lawyers are technically excellent in their areas of expertise; but more importantly for our clients, they are genuinely concerned with the application of the law in the ‘real world’ to get results. We are outcome-focused and commercially-minded – helping you achieve your goals in the most effective and efficient manner is our key objective. We can work with you by providing full-service ongoing support for all your commercial and private needs or by offering specialty expertise when required.…

Yet again, Austech promises to be the unmissable event this year for anyone with an interest in manufacturing. This year’s show is expected to be bigger than ever, attracting more than 10,000 of the industry’s key decision-makers looking to see the latest manufacturing technology up close. As the show’s organiser, AMTIL is hard at work on preparations for the show and looking forward to welcoming Australia’s manufacturing community when doors open on 9 May. Austech provides a forum for visitors to take a look at the most advanced, cutting-edge manufacturing equipment available today but also to discuss potential applications that will help them provide value-added, innovative and high-tech solutions. The principal focuses at this year’s exhibition will be machine tools for metal cutting and forming, production systems, high-precision tools, CAD/CAM, and accessories. One of the highlights of this year’s Austech will be the Manufacturers’ Pavilion. First launched at the 2013 exhibition, the Manufacturers’ Pavilion highlights the capabilities of Australia’s precision engineering and advanced manufacturing industry, providing a unique opportunity for Australian component manufacturers, precision…