October 20, 2020
The plan, which would see Maryborough become an engine for local jobs creation over the next decade, includes: $600m for 20 new Queensland trains and the infrastructure needed to build them in Maryborough, supporting 690 new jobs. $1m for a business case to replace carriages for the Westlander, Inlander and Spirit of the Outback long-distance services. A continued $300m, 10-year pipeline of manufacturing work in Maryborough to refurbish and maintain the existing QR fleet being delivered by Downer. Continuing $85m investment for Maryborough workers to fix overseas-bought trains. The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has welcomed the plan. ARA Chief Executive Officer Caroline Wilkie said the commitment to invest $600m to build the new trains formed part of a wider $1bn pipeline to give the sector greater certainty and scale. “This commitment would transform the face of Queensland manufacturing and shows once and for all that trains can and should be built here in Australia,” Wilkie said. “This investment in…
October 15, 2020
The Government recently announced that it will invest $1.2bn to support Australian businesses to employ 100,000 new apprentices or trainees as part of Australia’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan. According to Geoff Crittenden, CEO of Weld Australia, the Government must set a target to achieve much-needed improvements in the gender composition of Australia’s trades. “In a post COVID-19 world, irrespective of how much funding the Federal Government invests in training and apprenticeships, Australia’s economy will not recover unless we maintain our industrial, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors,” said Crittenden. “The only way to do this is to broaden our labour pool by attracting women into trades such as welding. We need a proactive, targeted approach that engages and recruits women into the trades, new and innovative trade training programs designed specifically for women, and measurable gender diversity targets set by the Federal Government. “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has revealed the budget will be in the red by $184.5 billion in 2020-2021, marking the largest deficit since World…
October 15, 2020
Working with Melbourne-based Amaero Engineering, researchers at CSIRO’s Lab22 Innovation Centre, one of Australia’s leading centres for metallic additive manufacturing, developed the innovative solution using some clever simulations. Sam Tartaglia, Program Manager at Amaero, said the company, which specialises in additively manufactured high-performance parts, saw an opportunity to explore the use of conformal cooling in 3D-printed die cast tooling, using computational modelling. “High-pressure die casting (HPDC) is by far the most popular manufacturing route for mass-produced near-net-shape metal parts,” Tartaglia said. “The process forces molten metal into a die cavity via a series of passages or ‘runners’, which include the ‘sprue area’, to produce a part in the shape of the cavity before the final solidified product is removed. “We were looking to find a solution to a stubborn problem that was challenging one of our clients - the sprue area running too hot. The issue was causing prolonged cycle times, with the die taking longer to cool between shots, and frequent production line stoppages”. Using Finite Element Method computational modelling, the partners explored optimising…
October 15, 2020
On 2 September, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) confirmed what many people had been expecting for most of 2020: Australia was officially in recession. Gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 7% in the June quarter, the largest contraction since records began in 1959. With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to have a devastating impact, both here and worldwide, the economic outlook is the bleakest it has ever been since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Confirmation of the recession also intensified a debate that had already been building since the COVID-19 crisis began: about ways to stimulate the economy as we emerge from the pandemic. While the Government’s stimulus measures so far have concentrated on emergency assistance for individuals and businesses affected by the downturn, there is a growing sense that more far-reaching measures will be needed, including funding for large-scale projects in infrastructure such as energy and transport networks. One notable voice backing investment…
October 15, 2020
Joining an elite group of Australian companies that build and export manufacturing technology, John Hart designs and manufactures the systems in its Melbourne facility for local and international markets. With a facility in Cincinnati, Ohio, Agile Robotic Systems offers on-site demonstrations, technical support and sales for the entire North American region. Three levels of machine tending products provide the basis of this innovative success story. The Agile Flex range is an out-of-the-box machine tending solution that is solid in construction, rapid to deploy, easy to use and very affordable. The Agile Modular range offers a flexible machine tending solution created by bringing together pre-engineered modular system components to meet project requirements. Finally the Agile Engineered range offers a fully bespoke solution designed specifically to meet the unique requirements of each project. Known for their advanced design, simplicity of use, build quality and reliability, Agile Robotic Systems come in a range of sizes and configurations to meet the…
October 15, 2020
The recent change to the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) directly impacts manufacturers and sellers of goods that are not generally used for domestic or household purposes. A buyer of an $80,000 industrial motor may now be a “consumer”. Currently, a person or business is considered a “consumer” for the purposes of the ACL if they purchase goods or services for their own use that: Are of a kind ordinarily acquired for domestic, household or personal use or consumption; OR Cost up to $40,000, irrespective of their kind or purpose. A person who on-sells goods or uses them up in the course of manufacturing other goods is not a consumer. But their customer may be a consumer for those on-sold goods or new goods. This definition has been amended by the Treasury Laws Amendment (Acquisition as Consumer – Financial Thresholds) Regulations 2020. From July 2021, the monetary threshold will increase from $40,000 to $100,000. This will, undoubtedly, shake up the traditional…
October 13, 2020
Suzanne Shipp is one of the key people responsible for Laser Central’s aggressive growth strategy. Since being appointed as the company’s new CEO earlier this year, Shipp has been busy driving new ideas and initiatives at this 100% Australian, family-owned business. “One of our core strategies has been around establishing a complete, centralised network of suppliers that can provide complimentary services and a full capability suite to our clients,” says Shipp. “The reasoning behind this, is that we can simplify our client’s supply chain. The client can come to us and while we might provide 80% of the work, we might also incorporate another supplier to provide the finishing, which means we can provide a full end-to-end service. “This makes it easier for the customer as they only have to deal with one supplier, while they receive the end product that they need. We’ve worked hard to establish a large and reliable network of partners that we can work with and fill any capability gaps.” Moving…
October 13, 2020
The report Leaders and Legends: Thousands of Clean Jobs for Queenslanders finds that accelerating the development of renewable energy zones (REZs) will give Queensland a global competitive advantage in energy-intensive industries, create jobs for Queenslanders, and new export opportunities. “There are so many reasons to be optimistic about Queensland’s economic future as it rebuilds from COVID-19,” said the Climate Council’s CEO Amanda McKenzie. “The growth of renewable energy generation in the state is bringing down power prices, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which will help protect Queensland’s natural tourism assets, like the Great Barrier Reef. Recent commitments from State and Federal governments to progress the Copperstring 2.0 (transmission link) project demonstrate that the time is right for Queensland to just get on with it and unlock new opportunities in both renewables and clean manufacturing.” Key findings from the report included: Queensland can accelerate the development of REZs across the…
October 13, 2020
McIntosh specialises in supplying quality forage and feed-out wagons, tip trailers, manure spreaders and bale feeders to farms and vineyards and wanted to replace its existing ERP system to significantly improve its production and scheduling capabilities. The company has been designing and manufacturing reliable farm and agricultural machinery for more than 60 years from its Palmerston North production facility on New Zealand's North Island, after being established by the McIntosh brothers as a farm equipment maintenance business. The company provides its farming equipment through over 200 trusted dealers across New Zealand, Australia and Chile. The firm had concerns over its ability to plan for future customer orders, ensuring it had the right stock on hand to meet production needs. The management team also felt that as a family-run business with a loyal longstanding workforce, much of the knowledge and expertise is in people’s heads. Many processes are paper-based, and the company has over 6,000 production drawings featuring around 20,000 parts. “We found our…
October 13, 2020
The National GS1 Traceability Advisory Group (NGTAG) was established earlier this year by GS1 Australia, the global not-for-profit organisation that is the leading provider of standards and solutions. NGTAG comprises more than 80 senior-level members from industry and government, addressing traceability linkages across supply chains to ensure Australia maintains and builds global competitiveness, sustainable economic growth and positive socio-economic outcomes and opportunities. McNeil currently works for InfraBuild Steel as Manager – Customer Experience; he is also the chair of the Technology Committee at the Australian Logistics Council. McNeil commented: “I am honoured to be appointed as a Co-Chair of the National GS1 Traceability Advisory Group. The group is uniquely placed to inform GS1 Australia on the requirements of industry and government for traceability standards, and to co-define a roadmap for implementing end-to-end traceability and trade modernisation in Australia in the most efficient and economic manner possible. “I look forward to leveraging the knowledge and experience of the network of companies, associations and government departments that represent the NGTAG, as well as working closely…
October 13, 2020
Rheinmetall will use the MILVEHCOE facility to build and assemble the majority of Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles, which are being delivered to the Australian Army under the $5bn LAND 400 Phase 2 project. The facility will also be used to conduct integration, support and heavy grade repair for the logistics trucks and modules being delivered under the LAND 121 Phase 3B and 5B projects. Morrison said the new defence industry facility in Redbank is part of the Economic Recovery Plan to create jobs as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are committed to keeping Australians safe, while protecting the nation’s interests in a rapidly changing global environment,” said Morrison. “This week’s budget has seen the Federal Government bring forward $1bn worth of capability projects and reservist days to support jobs, the Australian defence industry and the wider economy. “This Queensland centre will be where some of the most advanced armoured vehicles in the world will be produced, by Australian workers.…
October 8, 2020
A starting point would be to recognise that manufacturers across the developed world succeed not because they make certain products, but because they have invested in manufacturing technology, adopted sophisticated manufacturing methodologies and process techniques. They typically use a combination of three factors to remain competitive: advanced knowledge, advanced processes and advanced business models. But this is not new news. According the World Economic Forum’s Readiness for the Future of Production report, Australia is a “high potential” country for this type of future production. Key opportunities and advantages are arising for Australian manufacturing from increasing amounts of investment in digital technologies, but also from the integration of these new technologies into an increasing range of the manufacturing processes and supply chains. Manufacturing workplaces increasingly rely on technologies, methodologies and techniques (what we…
October 8, 2020
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the new partnership with Boeing Australia means more high-skilled jobs, local supply opportunities and defence industry stimulus, as Queensland continues its recovery efforts from the COVID-19 downturn. The unmanned aircraft is Boeing’s first military aircraft to be designed and developed outside the US, and will use artificial intelligence to extend the capabilities of manned and unmanned platforms. The first aircraft prototype, called the Loyal Wingman, was unveiled with the Royal Australian Air Force in May this year. “The creation of additional new aerospace capability could see unmanned defence aircraft produced here by the middle of the decade, with prototype testing and certification taking place before that,” said Palaszczuk. “Our investment in this advanced manufacturing project will provide critical skills for suppliers, academia and Boeing, and culminate in Queensland becoming the primary final assembly facility for the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, conditional on…
