Industry News

Boeing Australia will establish the facility in the Wellcamp Aerospace and Defence Precinct at Wellcamp Airport to produce and assemble the Boeing Airpower Teaming System (also known as Loyal Wingman), the first military combat aircraft designed, developed and manufactured in Australia in half a century. The aircraft made its first flight in February 2021. The partnership to establish the facility will create new opportunities for Toowoomba, bringing jobs and skill development to the region and the state. “In choosing Wellcamp Airport, Boeing have taken an important step towards delivering their purpose-built final assembly facility,” said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. “This has the potential to greatly improve our state’s advanced manufacturing capability and help shape a workforce of Queenslanders with the skills to build some of the world’s most cutting-edge aircraft.” The new facility is expected to support approximately 300 jobs during construction and will create highly skilled jobs. The project is part of the Queensland Defence Industries 10-year Roadmap and Action Plan, which aims to significantly…

Vesticam evolved from the clinical need for simple, portable and affordable infra-red video goggles to record of eye movements during oculomotor tests. It is an innovative modification of existing trialled and tested equipment, making it portable, fully adjustable and accessible for widespread use. Vesticam’s product records eye movement (nystagmography) during over 15 standard bedside oculomotor tests, including tests that can only be done in the dark (with vision denied). The video and audio recordings can then be reviewed, stored or sent for second opinion. Prior to Vesticam, no existing IR video goggles met all of the required clinical parameters of being fully adjustable, easy to focus, light and comfortable for patients to wear, completely light-tight, and able to switch quickly from vision-denied to with-vision. A large part of the original design (innovation patented) was for an adjustable means of positioning a camera at a target. The design of Vesticam version 1 (V1) allowed the subject/patient to have a frame on their head (goggles) with a camera and illuminator,…

Organised by the US Government research agency DARPA and spanning a three-year-period, the Subterranean Challenge was designed to push the boundaries of autonomous robotic technology. Scientists were tasked with remotely running the robots in an underground environment that simulated a real-world scenario. This included locating models representing lost or injured humans, backpacks, or phones, as well as variable conditions such as pockets of gas Points were awarded for correct identification and location of items, mapping the terrain, and maintaining autonomy and communications throughout. The competition culminated in a final event held inside the Louisville Mega Cavern in Louisville in Kentucky. Made up of members from CSIRO’s Data61, CSIRO spin-out robotics company Emesent, and the Georgia Institute of Technology, the team competed under the name ‘CSIRO’s Data61’ and won the preliminary round before being awarded second in the final circuit. Leader of team CSIRO’s Data61 and CSIRO’s Robotics group leader, Dr Navinda Kottege said: “This is an amazing result! We are the…

Max Albert founded Melbourne Tooling Co in 1965. Initially based in Huntingdale, in Melbourne’s south-east suburbs, the company started out as a toolmaking operation, and soon made a name for itself providing tooling for the local automotive industry. Within a few years it diversified into the design and manufacture of automotive components, and established itself as a key supplier to the original five Australian car manufacturers Ford, GM Holden, Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi. Today the company, now rebranded as MTM Pty Ltd, remains privately owned by the Albert family, with Max’s son Mark Albert now its Managing Director, but the business is a truly global operation. The closure of Australia’s car industry has seen MTM diversify into areas such as rail, water conservation and safety, but automotive components still account for a substantial part of the company’s business. Its customer base amounts to a…

The Fund delivers on the recommendations from the Territory Economic Reconstruction Report, and will leverage AMGC’s experience in successfully increasing Australia’s manufacturing capability. With a focus on expanding manufacturing in the NT, co-investments will target local projects that seek to: Grow an advanced manufacturing ecosystem and capability in the NT across the Territory’s priority sectors. Increase investment in advanced manufacturing activity in NT, and secure a greater number of advanced manufacturing jobs located in the NT. Commercialise new products and processes, including transitioning a new product or process from pilot/prototype stage to full commercial operations. Support early-stage small-scale and pilot research projects in advanced manufacturing, allowing them to more quickly move to larger-scale commercialisation. Funding will range from $25,000 up to $500,000 (or more based on scale and impact), and must be matched by industry. Projects should include collaboration with a research partner and a minimum of one industry partner. “We are Australia’s comeback capital, but we also want to be Australia’s innovation capital,” said Michael Gunner, Chief Minister…

According to a November 2020 report by security company Dragos, the number of ransomware attacks in the manufacturing industry tripled during the year. Although a large part of manufacturing industry relies on information technology, it also relies largely on Industrial Control Systems for mass production of goods. This is the area that cyber criminals actively seek to target. With the recent ransomware attack on one of the largest oil pipelines in the US, many gas stations had no choice but to shut down – causing national gas prices on average to rise above $3. To resolve the matter, Colonial Pipeline had to pay $5m ransom within a few hours. Though, earlier the opposite of this was reported by CNN and Reuters, the ransom payment news was also later confirmed by the Wall Street Journal. This news is worrisome, since the success of a large-scale ransomware attack can be encouraging for the hackers to launch future attacks. Particularly for the manufacturing supply chain, if…

AML3D, a pioneer in commercialising Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), has teamed up with the Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) at Deakin to investigate the effect of scandium as a strengthening element for existing aluminium wire feedstock for 3D printing and welding applications, with the potential to commercialise. As part of the 12-month research collaboration, IFM researchers will create and road-test new alloy compositions that will deliver high strength, corrosion resistant WAAM structures, using AML3D’s WAM technology. Dr Thomas Dorin, who leads the research at Deakin’s IFM, highlights that most aluminium alloys obtain their strength via additional heat treatments which can be costly and not always practical when using WAM technology. “When you add scandium to aluminium, it acts as an ‘excellent strengthener’,” says Dr Dorin. “Our preliminary research has shown that aluminium-scandium forms strengthening AI3Sc particles during WAM and create as-printed high-strength structures with limited need for subsequent heat treatment. Also, scandium is electrochemically neutral with aluminium. The new…

“Almost three quarters of the lifetime costs of a compressor are attributed to energy,” says Peter Eckberg, Managing Director at Kaeser Compressors Australia. “If you take the example of a 250kW compressor, running three shifts, seven days a week, and with electricity costs at $0.15/kWh, then over an average 10-year lifecycle that will cost $3.28m to run in electricity costs alone! What’s surprising to many people, is that in most compressed air systems only around 50% of the compressed air produced is actually production demand.” With Eckberg’s example, that means that more than $1.6m is being potentially wasted through issues such as: compressed air leaks (25% to 30%), artificial demand (10% to 15%) and inappropriate uses (5% to 10%). But there is good news. Many existing compressed air systems are hiding an energy savings potential of up to 30%. “Whether you’re…

Supporting the largest industries in the world, including automotive, aerospace and electronics, metal fabrication is one of the most important manufacturing sectors, currently valued at $3.8bn by IBIS World in Australia. Consequently, competition is fierce and most businesses in the fabricated metals sector are facing serious challenges with their complex supply chains, and collaborating with customers to design the most effective products – all while meeting quality, tolerance and material specifications and keeping their customers loyal by delivering exactly what they ordered, on time, every time. The challenge is that the industry needs to maintain flexibility to change capacity requirements while operating effective continuous replenishment systems. Operators need to be able to manage production costs, product quality and on-time delivery by automating and integrating business processes and improving the visibility of management information. Putting the P in ERP Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software allows metal fabrication companies to manage their businesses from the front office to the factory floor. To maximise the use of their ERP system’s planning capabilities, fabricated…

However, many air cleaners are unable to extract the invisible, superfine particles that constitute the greatest threat to workers’ heath: mist particles with a diameter below 3-5μm. These particles can get into a person’s lungs and then the blood, potentially causing health issues. Available in Australia from Dimac Tooling, Reven air cleaners feature Reven’s patented high-performance X-CYCLONE separating system, specifically developed for the separation of air-borne substances including fluid and superfine particles. Measurements by Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute prove that Reven air cleaners with X-CYCLONE technology attain a separation efficiency of 98% with critical particle sizes below 3-5 μm. “The issue of removal of superfine particles in the air has perhaps been overlooked when it comes to general air filtering,” says Dimac Managing Director Paul Fowler. “But only highly efficient air cleaners such as Reven can remove a complete spectrum of pollutants such as mists and smoke, including of course superfine particles. Using a Reven air cleaner will ensure workers breathe fresh air and are protected from these particles. A Reven air…

The emerging field of tissue engineering aims to harness the human body’s natural ability to heal itself, to rebuild bone and muscle lost to tumours or injuries. A key focus for biomedical engineers has been the design and development of 3D printed scaffolds that can be implanted in the body to support cell regrowth. But making these structures small and complex enough for cells to thrive remains a significant challenge. Enter a RMIT University-led research team, collaborating with clinicians at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, who have overturned the conventional 3D printing approach. Instead of making the bioscaffolds directly, the team 3D printed moulds with intricately-patterned cavities then filled them with biocompatible materials, before dissolving the moulds away. Using the indirect approach, the team created fingernail-sized bioscaffolds full of elaborate structures that, until now, were considered impossible with standard 3D printers. Lead researcher Dr Cathal O’Connell said the new biofabrication method was cost-effective and easily scalable because it relied on widely available technology. “The shapes you can make…

The merger is the sixth for William Buck since 2019 as the firm continues a growth trajectory that’s achieved both organically and through strategic equity partnerships and merger opportunities. Effective since 13 September, the merger brings together the strong client base and relationship-driven team of boutique firm BR Wellington with William Buck’s deep resources and 125-year history. BR Wellington is a dynamic firm with a demonstrated history of winning sophisticated small-to-medium business owner clients in their growth phase. This aligns with William Buck’s vision of being the leading advisory firm to mid-market clients. Neil Brennan, Director, William Buck said the firms are an obvious fit as they share the same value proposition of providing exceptional client services and building lasting relationships. “Like with each of our past mergers, this decision was designed to create an environment where we can improve on our delivery of superior client experiences,” said Brennan. “The addition of BR Wellington’s expertise enables us to provide increased value and choice for our…

Porter’s resignation came in the wake of ongoing controversy surrounding the payment of his legal fees via anonymous donations to a blind trust. Porter’s departure was announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. “I want to thank Minister Porter for his service in my Government,” said Morrison. “I want to thank him for his service as the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology.” Morrison also commented on Taylor’s appointment to take over Porter’s duties on a temporary basis: “I’ve taken the step of appointing Angus Taylor as the Acting Minister for Industry, Science and Technology. He will perform those responsibilities together with his responsibilities for Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. Both of these portfolios sit within his department, and I have no doubt that he will perform extremely admirably in taking on those responsibilities.” The Prime Minister would not confirm whether Taylor would retain the role in the longer term or a more permanent appointment would be…