Member News

Rising consumer demand for ethically sourced and environmentally friendly products, changes in the Australian policy landscape, and growing pressure from stakeholders means sustainability is now front of mind for every organisation. Simultaneously, an increasingly competitive and uncertain global economy of fast-rising materials and shipping costs is forcing manufacturers to implement intelligent, agile, and cost-effective production processes to improve efficiency and throughput. Fortunately, despite these converging challenges, businesses today have the digital tools to support collaboration with industry peers on a global scale. The rise of Internet of Things (IoT) connected smart factories provide manufacturers with the capabilities to leverage data insights from their shop floor and supply chains to develop end-to-end circularity in their sourcing, production and distribution processes. This is helping to minimise unnecessary waste and reduce carbon emissions for more sustainable operations. As more manufacturers move into a circular economy business model, decision makers are turning to innovation to support this transition, with 80% of CEOs increasing digital technology…

Welding has long been the go-to method for repairs and restoration of metal parts. Although it’s a well-established and great method for joining metals, when it comes to repair, welding may not always be the most suitable solution. Unfortunately, with limited alternatives available, it has often been the common or default choice. However, a new technology is now emerging that promises to revolutionise the repair process and offer a more versatile and efficient solution: low-pressure cold spray technology. Cold spray – also known as supersonic particle deposition - is a groundbreaking technology for repairing geometries and applying functional coatings. Unlike welding, which involves high temperatures and can result in distortion, residual stress, and damage to surrounding materials, cold spray operates without the need for extreme heat. Instead, it propels metal particles at supersonic speeds onto metal surfaces. As they collide, the kinetic energy of the particles causes them to deform and interlock with the metal surface, creating a strong, metallurgically bonded coating.  When it comes to repair and maintenance, the advantages of low-pressure cold spray over conventional welding…

Australia’s premier manufacturing technology trade show, AMW Sydney 2024, is promising to be a dynamic and innovative event that brings together professionals, companies and experts from many industries related to manufacturing, engineering and technology. It is AMTIL’s aim for Australian Manufacturing Week to be more than just an exhibition. This is the centrepiece of a week-long celebration of manufacturing in Australia today. “On the back of the overwhelming success of AMW 2022 in Sydney, we have returned to the ICC at Darling Harbour for April 2024 and are excited to be delivering another strong show,” said Shane Infanti CEO of AMTIL, organisers of Australian Manufacturing Week. “We are very pleased to have the support of the NSW Government as the Major Sponsor for AMW. Government support is important in delivering the message to our industry that manufacturing is important and that the support mechanisms are there to assist.” Australian Manufacturing Week will take place at the International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney. The stats from our Melbourne show at the MCEC showed conclusively the appetite for…

Breaking new ground in sustainable construction, Capral has achieved yet another milestone with its Lower carbon aluminium offer, LocAl®, recognised at the 2023 Architecture and Design Sustainability Awards as the Green Building Product category winner. In an era where environmental consciousness is paramount, Capral's locally extruded, lower-carbon aluminium stands out as a testament to the company's commitment to sustainable practices and aluminium stewardship. The Sustainability Awards is Australia's longest-running and most prestigious awards program dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating sustainable design and architecture excellence. 2023 marks the 17th year of the program, with winners announced on November 9th at the annual gala event held in Sydney. Capral was recognised as the Green Building Product category winner for its market-leading Lower Carbon Aluminium offer - LocAl®. When LocAl® was introduced in November 2022, Capral had a clear objective to make locally extruded, lower-carbon Aluminium available to Australian manufacturers, architects and designers. The LocAl® offer includes two lower carbon aluminium options: LocAl® Green with carbon emissions of 8kg CO2e/kg Al* and LocAl® Super Green at 4kg CO2e/kg Al* - amongst…

Thanking Mark and Craig for their commitment, KAESER Australia Managing Director, Peter Eckberg said, “We are grateful for your dedication and long-standing loyalty to the company as well as the industry.” “It is unusual these days for people to remain with one employer for such a long period of time. Over 70% of the Australian workforce has been in their current position for ten years or less. So in this environment, for a person to reach 20, and then 30 years of service is absolutely outstanding.” In 1993, Mark Dudman was employed as a Sales Engineer for KAESER Australia. Based in the Sydney branch office, Mark progressed to the role of Branch Manager and then National Sales Manager. Decades of experience mean Mark is well-known and respected in compressed air circles. Asked about his time in the industry, Mark says the key to navigating the ever-changing market is to focus on the customers and always check that the product solves the problem. In that…

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), is now a viable technique for large-scale analysis of geological materials with the ability to contribute to ore body knowledge and directly influence exploration geology programs and process metallurgy operations. The technique has some similarities to spark OES which has been used for many years in the metals industry to confirm or identify alloy grades. While LIBS is not a new technology, it really came to the fore in 2012 when NASA employed it on the MARS Rover Curiosity. Their LIBS system called ChemCam is mounted on top of the mast and can analyse materials as far as seven metres away, where it was used to determine the composition of Martian geology samples. In July 2021 it was reported to have collected over 800,000 spectra from more than 2,500 individual targets. In the process, it has been responsible for some of the Rover’s most significant discoveries. Main image: The NASA Curiosity Rover. The ChemCam LIBS system is housed in the module atop the mast (photo courtesy of…

Mineral exploration plays an important role in society. Today, with the drive for a low carbon economy there is pressure to discover mineral deposits such as nickel, lithium, cobalt, zinc and copper that are required to build renewable energy sources such as solar panels, wind turbines and batteries for homes, industry and electric vehicles. Without access to ‘green metals’ a low-carbon world won’t be possible. In support of mineral exploration are two technologies that offer improved mineral identification techniques through reliable analysis. One of these technologies is LIBS or Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. A rapid minimally destructive chemical analysis technique used to identify and detect mineralogical samples. A leading laser system is the J200 LIBS instrument from Applied Spectra designed specifically to handle the most demanding trace element analyses — those requiring high sensitivity and accuracy. With a single-digit ppm (parts per million) level of detection (LOD) limit for many elements in the periodic table, the J200 LIBS is an ideal instrument for challenging quantitative elemental analysis with many sample matrices and capable of monitoring single or multiple elements of…

Originally founded in New Zealand in 1974 by Keld and Vivi Sorensen manufacturing specialised machine tools, Sorensen Engineering relocated to Sydney in 1981. Although continuing to manufacture machine tools until the early 2000s, this second-generation family business diversified into the production of precision component parts and assemblies in the mid-1980s and has continued to innovate and was recently recognised in the top 100 most innovative companies in Australia. Today, with a total staff of 30, the company is a highly competent precision engineering business with more than 40 years’ of experience. Sorensen services diverse markets such as mining, pump & fluid controls, film & TV equipment, and biomedical & scientific equipment. More recently, in response to the COVID crisis, they have been supporting critical projects with components for ventilators and PCR instruments involved in large-scale COVID testing. The first Okuma lathe was purchased by Sorensen Engineering in 2006 and today it has nine Okuma machines including CNC lathes, horizontal and vertical machining centres, plus automation and robotics. “The selection of Okuma machines came down to the precision and reliability of…

The new Allan Labor Government is on track to deliver the largest investment in locally-made trams in Australia’s history – supporting thousands of jobs and improving access to Melbourne’s iconic tram network. Melbourne’s locally made next-generation trams are one step closer after a life-sized model of a G-class tram was unveiled for testing and evaluation for the first time ahead of production ramping up. Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams recently visited Tullamarine to unveil the first life-sized mock-up of a next-gen tram for testing and evaluation – set to hit the network by 2025. The Labor Government is investing $1.85bn in 100 new G-class trams alongside a new tram maintenance and stabling facility when the fleet is ready. The more accessible trams will be built by Alstom in Dandenong using at least 65% local content and supporting up to 1,900 local jobs through manufacturing, the supply chain and construction. They will replace some of Melbourne’s longest-serving A and Z-class high-floor trams, making our public transport network more accessible for all Victorians. With greater capacity than the high-floor trams, they will…

Being stuck in the past has a cost. Manufacturers utilising legacy systems are hurting themselves with a lack of connectivity that inhibits production and response time. Manufacturers who have yet to modernise are those with the most to gain by upgrading their data management and automation processes. The Harvard Business Review points out that $1Tn is left on the table when companies fail to digitise. Various elements can exacerbate existing manufacturing and supply chain challenges: global unrest, COVID-19, war, climate change, and economic uncertainty. In 2022, the war in Ukraine impacted the global wheat supply, which trickled down to cause issues with food manufacturers around the world. When the disruption eventually reached consumers, there were product shortages and steep prices for the inventory that was available. COVID-19 also caused large supply chain disruptions by causing port closures and worker shortages. Inventory tracking became nearly impossible, as there was either no inventory to track or no one on-site to do so. This impact hasn’t disappeared but rather continues downstream in the form…

The RMIT University-led project – supported by the Australian Research Council, Austroads and 10 Victorian councils – will incorporate recycled plastic from consumer and industrial waste, including notoriously stubborn soft plastics, into asphalt as a performance enhancer. With Australians generating 2.6 million tonnes of plastic waste each year and landfill space expected to reach capacity by 2025, this project is helping to address an urgent challenge. Project lead, RMIT Associate Professor Filippo Giustozzi, said the team will also produce best-practice guidelines on the use of recycled plastics in asphalt roads. “These guidelines will enable local governments, which control 80% of the nation’s roads, to begin widescale adoption of this innovative recycling solution,” said Giustozzi from RMIT’s School of Engineering. The City of Melbourne and nine suburban and regional councils will lead the way, each having sections of recycled road up to 900 metres long paved over the coming months. The 10 project sites will use an estimated 21,000kg of recycled plastic, but the potential scale of this solution is considerable given the…

The warehousing and manufacturing sector is undergoing significant transformation, largely driven by digitalisation and technological advancements. The process of moving materials within a warehouse or manufacturing site can drastically impact capital durability, inventory cost, worker safety, and overall operational efficiency. To remain competitive in an evolving market, organisations must make smarter, faster, and cheaper decisions, particularly when it comes to material handling. Traditionally, material handling has relied heavily on manual, time-consuming processes and rudimentary tools. However, digital transformation is reshaping industrial manufacturing, operations, and supply chain logistics like never before. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and vehicle mounts are driving material handling innovation. For example, digital twins can reduce the transition time between physical and digital worlds, speeding up reaction time and enabling quicker adjustments in operations. Similarly, vehicle mounts shorten the physical distance between the operator and technology, making it easier to execute tasks with increased efficiency. These tools not only capture and analyse data in real-time, but also decentralise the digital interface,…

This article aims to explore the challenges being faced by manufacturing organisations across industries. A societal and cultural shift away from manual, craftsmanship-based roles, coupled with the perception of health risks in manufacturing occupations has led to a significant skills shortage in the sector. Various other challenges include regulatory pressures, unstable supply chains, and unprecedented uncertainties — all of which are exacerbating the situation and threatening the competitiveness of manufacturing enterprises. However, this article posits that the solution to these escalating issues lies within the realm of digitalisation and automation technology. Our analysis is rooted in the evolution of job market trends, and the opportunities presented by innovations such as Rivelin NetShape, a frontrunner in the digital revolution of manufacturing. By harnessing machine learning, advanced sensors, and proprietary algorithms, this technology transforms skilled manual tasks for post-processing and finishing metal parts and components into repeatable, traceable digital procedures that significantly boost productivity and reduce costs. The article will go on to present a future where the burdens of manual labour can be alleviated by robotics and AI and show…