Industry News

By introducing scanning and digitising expertise into GoProto’s advanced manufacturing network, the merger enables a streamlined solution at every stage of the product development cycle. Shane Rolton, Managing Director of Wysiwyg 3D, sees the merger as a particularly beneficial opportunity for his clients, employees and business partners. “Our focus has always been on taking care of our customers by understanding what drives their business and providing solutions that affect the bottom line,” said Rolton. “We’ve already been working on a number of projects with GoProto. Combining our expertise and resources shortens the time-lag between scan data and production, putting ourselves exactly where our customers need us.” A recent project involving the repair of a rescue helicopter fuselage hatch served as a testament to the capabilities of these two companies and the potential for building greater manufacturing sovereignty within Australia. Traditionally, the NSW emergency service provider relied on overseas supply of spare parts, but with the delays relating to COVID-19, this meant that the helicopter was going to be out-of-service for several weeks.…

Businesses with products licensed to carry the Australian Made logo will be able to incorporate the brand into their AMGC COVID-19 Manufacturer Response Register listings. Broad enhancements to the Register include the ability to: Display the Australian Made logo. Note Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval. Upload a PDF for brochures, spec sheets or other key information. Navigate with more powerful search and connection functions. Ben Lazzaro, Chief Executive of the Australian Made Campaign, said there has never been a more important time to consider buying local: “Australian manufacturers produce products made to some of the highest quality and safety standards in the world. AMGC’s COVID-19 Response Register is a great resource for local businesses to connect and identify local products and supplies relating to managing COVID-19, and we are happy to support the initiative via the use of the Australian Made logo. “The many benefits of buying Australian Made…

The Hydrafeed barfeeder offers a number of unique features. One of those is that it is a full servo-driven barfeed eliminating the need for compressed air. It can also accommodate different bar diameters and lengths including random bar lengths, and is suitable for both bar or shaft feed. One of the most important time-saving features of the Hydrafeed is that once you’ve set a bar size and saved the set-up, you never have to open the cover again. Simply call up the program from the touch screen and the Hydrafeed will set itself on the centreline automatically thanks to the servo drive bar lifter mechanism. “This feature alone puts the Hyrdafeed Barfeeder on a different level and really does take barfeeder productivity to a new level,” said Paul Fowler, Managing Director of Dimac Tooling, suppliers of the Hydrafeed barfeeder. “It’s also quick and easy to set up which helps businesses to remain flexible as they can run small batch jobs without excessive set-up times.”…

The contracts are authorised under the AUSMIN Defence Acquisition Committee (ADAC) initiative, a collaboration between the US and Australian Departments of Defence. This is the second consecutive contract with the US Navy for RUAG Australia in Q3 of 2020. First orders have been secured for the repair and overhaul of selected components on MH-60R Seahawk helicopters in the US Navy fleet. MRO support for the platform’s complex componentry requires specialized treatment and repair methods inherent to RUAG Australia’s proven aircraft component capabilities. The defence supplier is able to build upon its reliable performance and support in the componentry for the SH-60B Seahawk and to apply the full scope of its accumulated knowledge and experience therein. This is the second US Navy platform RUAG Australia is set to support, in addition to the F/A-18 Hornet contracts awarded in August 2020. This new contract strengthens the existing collaboration between RUAG Australia and the US Navy and sees a foundation for future growth for the national Defence SME. “Earning the confidence and trust of…

The findings come from a survey of an independent panel of 258 Australian business owners with employees whose businesses are still in operation, commissioned by online financial information platform Money.com.au. The results revealed that 2020 will likely be the worst year for businesses on record. While the majority of businesses suffered a decline in profits, 35% made the same profit as last year, and just 15% made more profit. This is despite the widescale cuts that directors made to their businesses. Among the 55% of business owners who made cuts to crucial expenses, 44% let go of employees and contractors, despite JobKeeper being made available to hold onto staff on payroll. A quarter (24%) made cuts to their own salaries, and 24% froze salaries and did not pay bonuses across their businesses. Nearly half (45%) made cuts to travel. Travel was drastically reduced at the start of the pandemic, as a result of government restrictions and…

The novel ‘material microsurgery’ technique developed by Professor Veena Sahajwalla and her team at SMaRT can extract valuable materials and elements from complex waste items and reform them into strengthening layers for steel and other applications. The technique is the latest breakthrough by Sahajwalla’s team as they seek to develop new ways to address society’s growing waste and recycling challenges with innovations that can boost manufacturing capability, creating jobs and prosperity while enhancing environmental and social outcomes. The SMaRT Centre created the phrase ‘mircorecycling science’ to describe its novel approach to researching innovative approaches and technologies to reform various waste streams into value added materials and products. “Australia’s governments have agreed to ban the exporting of glass, plastic, paper and rubber tyres from January 2021,” Sahajwalla explains. “Therefore we need to start treating these waste items as the ‘renewable resources’ they really area. Ever-increasing population, technological advancement, variable consumption trends, and lack of efficiency in using materials are forcing us near a…

Australia's manufacturing industries grew solidly in October with production, employment, sales and exports all moving convincingly into growth territory. Once again, the large food & beverages sector led the way with strong contributions from machinery & equipment manufacturers and with support from firmer growth in the textiles, clothing, footwear, paper & printing group. The chemicals sector stabilised in October while the pace of contraction eased in both the metal products and building materials sectors. Respondents across all sectors noted a jump in sales and new orders as a result of pent up demand from the initial activity restrictions. The jump into expansion was driven by large improvements in New South Wales, which rose into expansion, and Victoria, which remained in contraction but improved from a deep contraction in September . “With the quantity of fiscal support easing in October and with the tax cuts only just starting to flow…

I have been involved in the robotics and industrial automation industry (on and off) for more than 30 years. Over the years I have seen a lot of projects make the transition from wild concept to productive and effective reality, and I have learnt a lot about what is behind both the successful and the difficult projects. That experience boils down to what I call “The Three Ps”: Product, Process and People. You must manage all three for success. It is easy to do simple automation that ‘should’ work most of the time, but life rarely travels down the middle of the road. Great and successful automation projects must take full account and manage all the things that can go wrong so they can keep going when the road gets a little rough at the edges. Achieving 99% is not good enough – that might mean a stop every five minutes. To get rock-solid automation you must take account of all the exceptions – all the things that might…

The decision to hold the AGM online had been in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it also allowed the participation of members from much further afield, with around 90 AMTIL members logging in from across Australia. While conducting the AGM through video conferencing marked a big change from previous years, proceedings went smoothly, with voting on AMTIL matters taking place through onscreen polls rather than the usual show of hands. Proceedings kicked off with a keynote address from guest speaker Mike Rolls. In September 2001, Mike contracted meningococcal septicaemia, one of the deadliest diseases on the planet. He lived to tell the tale, but the infection left him with horrific internal and external injuries, including the amputation of both his legs. However, Mike refused to be set back by the illness, and has used his experience as a springboard to personal and professional success. In telling his inspirational story, Mike…

Founded in 1994, Angel Trains is a leading rolling stock provider for the UK rail industry, financing and delivering high-quality trains to UK passenger service operators. Each year, it makes significant investment in innovative solutions to modernise train fleets. One of its biggest challenges is finding an alternative to the traditional supply chain for replacement parts, which struggles to cope with growing demands. Unlike the automotive industry, where vehicles are mass produced in millions each year, rail industry fleets are comparatively small, and in some cases more than 30 years old. This combination presents several challenges for train operators, especially regarding vehicle maintenance and part replacement. “In recent times, we’ve seen growing concern among operators that sourcing replacement parts for older train fleets at a reasonable cost and in a short timeframe is proving increasingly difficult,” explained James Brown, Data & Performance Engineer at Angel Trains. “The problem is that traditional manufacturing methods only make it cost-effective to produce high volumes of spare parts, even though an operator…

BOC will install a compressor to take the hydrogen produced using renewable electricity at HyP SA and transport it via tube trailers to industrial customers across South Australia and Western Australia. BOC’s Whyalla Argon Purification Unit (APU) will also use the HyP SA hydrogen as an energy source to make high-purity argon used in industrial processes and welding gases. By January 2021 this will completely replace the need to transport hydrogen from the BOC Altona facility in Victoria, saving 117,000km in annual driving and 122,000kg of carbon emissions per year. AGIG’s plant is Australia’s largest renewable gas project and will provide a 5% hydrogen blend with natural gas for supply to nearby homes and businesses via the existing gas network. Vesna Olles, Director, Strategy and Business Development, BOC said: “South Australia will now have a local supply of green hydrogen readily available for energy projects, storage, mobility and more. BOC is proud to be partnering with AGIG to support South Australian research groups and businesses which are developing…

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are at the heart of our economies, employing around 70% of labour markets and keeping profits within local communities. They are also suffering the most with COVID-19. Small manufacturers have been left behind by successive governments in favour of big businesses in the resources sector, and this may well be the final straw. Our research shows that successful companies are the product of resourceful entrepreneurs and favourable business conditions – their success depends on the local business environment. We’ve come up with three things that business owners can do, and twice as many that governments can do to boost firm performance and support recovery. What you can do: Knowledge, Network, Mindset A lot depends on what you know, who you know, and who you are. The more you know, the more places your business will go. Playing it by ear and blundering your way through means making costly mistakes that are easily avoided. Business schools, polytechnics, and start-up hubs all offer…

This year’s Ceremony commenced with an entrepreneurs panel discussing the role of the tech sector in rebuilding after COVID, after which the Minister for Industry, Science & Technology, Karen Andrews, delivered a keynote message. Highlighting the Federal Government’s recent commitment of an additional $460m to the CSIRO and $2bn in R&D incentives to support the tech sector, Andrews congratulated the finalists: “In so many ways our future rests in the creative hands, critical inventions and trailblazing thinking that defines all of the ATC finalists.” This year’s national Award winners were: Advanced Manufacturing Award – Contactile (NSW) Cyber Security Award – Castlepoint Systems (ACT) Disaster & Emergency Award – Helitak Fire Fighting Equipment (QLD) Energy Award – Village Energy (WA) Food & Agribusiness Award – Farmbot (NSW) Global Social Impact Award – 4ize (NSW) Medtech & Pharma Award – Electrogenics Laboratories (NSW) Mining Technologies Award – NextOre (NSW) Smart Cities Award – BindiMaps (NSW) Space Award – HEO Robotics (NSW) Alumni Achievement Award – AgriDigital (NSW) Australian…