Industry News

“The weaker Australian dollar is starting to drive manufacturers back to Australia in a sign the economy is adjusting to a post-mining boom world,” BlueScope Steel boss Paul O’Malley said recently. “After a very strong trend toward offshoring, we are starting to see some domestic onshoring for the first time in almost six years.” Indeed, while some manufacturers may have opened the New Year with reductions in sales, production and new orders, the fall in the value of the Australian dollar could stimulate the manufacturing sector over the coming months. This year’s Austech exhibition comes at the right time, it seems, and the show, co-hosted with National Manufacturing Week (NMW), is expected to attract a combined total of over 10,000 visitors. Owned and operated by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), Austech provides a forum for visitors to not only view the latest technology available today but also talk about applications that help them provide value-added,…

While up slightly, by 0.9 points to 46.3, the Australian PMI remained well below the 50-point figure separating expansion from contraction. Among the activity indicators, manufacturing production (up 1.6 points to 46.6) and new orders (up 1.7 points to 45.9) continued to decline, and manufacturing sales (up 1.0 point to 46.2) contracted for a tenth consecutive month. Only the manufacturing exports sub-index signalled expansion (down 2.2 points to 51.7 points), as the impacts of the lower dollar continued to flow through. Once again, much of this growth in exports was concentrated in the food and beverages sub-sector, one of four manufacturing sub-sectors to expand in March (down 0.7 points to 59.4). “The lower Australian dollar continues to boost manufacturing export volumes,” said Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox. “However, despite stronger residential building activity and some easing of the intense pricing pressures from imports flowing from the lower dollar, weak local demand continues to weigh heavily on activity. The non-metallic mineral products sub-sector…

This area of the exhibition allows manufacturing companies to promote their capabilities and learn about new opportunities available to help them grow their businesses. Throughout the duration of Austech, the Manufacturers Pavilion will also provide the venue for an impressive schedule of presentations from renowned industry experts. Among the subjects explored over the course of the speakers schedule are: Innovation or Imposition – Which is it to be? Innovation is the essential turbulence that drives business growth and development. The alternative is stagnation, and ultimately business failure. Indeed recent statistics reveal that without innovation the life expectance of a business in these fast-moving times is less than ten years. Pushing the Boundaries of Sheet Forming – A University of Queensland and QMI Solutions research project. Incremental sheet forming (ISF) is a flexible manufacturing process in which complex 3D shapes are formed from a sheet of metal using a simple moving tool (stylus). In such a way an infinite variety of shapes can be…

Among the activity indicators, manufacturing production (down 3.7 points to 45.0) and new orders (down 3.4 points to 44.2) continued to decline, and manufacturing sales (steady at 45.3) contracted for a ninth consecutive month (readings below 50 indicate a contraction in activity, with the distance from 50 indicative of the strength of the decrease). The supplier deliveries (down 6.0 points to 46.9) and stock levels (down 4.4 points to 47.0) sub-indexes returned to contraction after brief expansions in January. Following further falls in the dollar, only the manufacturing exports sub-index signalled expansion, for a third month (unchanged at 53.9 points). Much of this growth in exports was concentrated in the food and beverages sub-sector, one of three manufacturing sub-sectors to expand in February (down 2.8 points to 60.1). The smaller textiles, clothing & furniture (down 3.4 points to 56.0) and non-metallic mineral products (down 2.3 points to 66.2) sub-sectors also expanded for a fourth consecutive month. “While there are bright patches, most…

Queensland is an interesting case. Just over four years ago the nation looked on as Queensland went through devastating floods. Then premier Anna Bligh earned high praise for her management and performance during that time. Her handling of the disaster and the media during that time was, in the eyes of most Australians, inspirational. Roll forward 14 months and that respect stood for nought as she underwent the heaviest defeat in the state’s history. Interestingly, it appeared it was the policies of the Labor party around privatisation of public assets to reduce state debt that delivered the killer blow. After 14 years of Labor government, and with such a massive swing, Campbell Newman would have been forgiven for thinking his job was safe for at least two terms. And it probably should have…

Austech will once again be a must-attend event for manufacturing professionals from around Australia in 2015. Austech will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 26 to 29 May. As the show’s organiser, AMTIL is looking forward to welcoming the entire Austech community, comprised of more than 10,000 industrial decision-makers, to interact, see the latest technology, and find answers to their manufacturing problems and challenges. Reflecting the strong support from AMTIL members, early results on participating exhibitors is ahead of the Austech 2013 pace, with more than 75% of the overall floor space already booked. “With the recent move to a two-year cycle, early signs indicate that we can look forward to a robust event,” Austech Exhibition Manager Kim Warren said. “Austech is the place to be in May. About 87% of the attendees at Austech are in middle- or senior-management positions. This group is an important audience segment, not just because of its size but also because these professionals play a key role in shaping the…

AMT: Let’s start with your professional background and how you came to your current role. SM: Well, I was a Federal Member of Parliament representing the Wollongong area, which of course was a great manufacturing base for Australia. In fact I put myself through university by working in the steel industry, and my grandfather was a coalminer. So in terms of what historically underpinned manufacturing in Australia, I had some background. I represented Wollongong for 18 years in Parliament. I was Speaker of the House, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Shadow Minister in various areas including terms in Defence and in Trade. After 1996, during my time in opposition, I completed a PhD in economics part time through the University of Wollongong, which examined financial deregulation under the Hawke/Keating Government. I left Parliament and took up various senior roles in universities. I was at the University of Wollongong in Dubai as a chief executive/president, I was Pro Vice Chancellor International here at Victoria University in Melbourne, Deputy Vice…

Only two of the seven activity sub-indexes – those for employment (up 4.7 points to 52.5) and exports (up 2.9 points to 51.0) – were above 50 points this month (readings below 50 indicate a contraction in activity, with the distance from 50 indicative of the strength of the decrease). The new orders sub-index fell sharply (down 10.6 points to 43.7) following two months of mild expansion, reflecting slower growth or a decline in new orders across the manufacturing sub-sectors. Manufacturing production also contracted for a second month (down 1.4 points to 46.0). Reflecting the weak trading conditions, supplier deliveries (down 3.5 points 48.5) and stocks (almost unchanged at 45.4) also contracted in December. Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said: "We would have hoped to have seen a stronger Australian PMI® in the lead-up to Christmas, but the finding is consistent with other publicly released data. Respondents to the Australian PMI® welcomed the further depreciation in the Australian dollar, but noted that the level of…