June 9, 2023
The Victorian Circular Economy Recycling Modernisation Fund aims to build the capacity, capability, and resilience of Victoria’s resource recovery sector, support businesses to respond to the national regulation of waste exports, increase the quality of materials for manufacturing and create jobs in the circular economy. Projects should be focused on the purchase, installation, and commission of new equipment or technology or upgrade of existing facilities to increase domestic reprocessing capacity and/or improve the quality of material and/or increase the use of recycled content in manufacturing. What are the eligibility criteria? Applicants must be Australian businesses that have been operating for a minimum of two years. Projects must be located in Victoria and source 50% or more of the project materials from Victorian sources. What funding is available? Successful projects could receive a grant between $50,000 and $1m on a $1: $2 (Sustainability Vic: Applicant) basis. What activities are eligible for funding? Eligible projects should: — Improve the recovery and local reprocessing of priority materials. This round includes mixed paper and cardboard, plastics wastes, tyres and glass. — Improve recycling outcomes by addressing critical infrastructure gaps in…
June 6, 2023
Australia and New Zealand will soon be facing a demand for infrastructure. According to Weld Australia, ANZ has a $237bn pipeline of infrastructure spend, and it is predicted that by 2030, Australia will be short 70,000 skilled welders to deliver the critical energy, defence, rail & infrastructure required to fuel this growth. Fabrication shop capacity restraints; issues resulting from supply chain shortages; competition from overseas; and declining profit margins are all contributing factors. Fabrication shops serving a number of industries are looking at robotic welding to help solve this challenge, and are searching for a path to automation. Before a fabrication shop can proceed on making a decision on an automation solution, fabrication shops need to examine key issues such as production mix, infrastructure needs, human resource requirements and ultimately, the return on investment. They need to choose pipe welding automation systems for their fabrication shops that will help them achieve consistent, high-quality welds, while increasing their shop productivity and helping them get ahead in an increasingly competitive market. “The fabrication shop owner should consider how they are going to win more projects…
June 5, 2023
Headland Technology has been providing all-around solutions to ADVATEK for more than 15 years. When ADVATEK entered to manufacture components for the medical industry they required two crucial things, high precision, reliable machine technology, and a reliable partner to provide them with the right knowledge and service to keep the production going 24/7. They found both in Headland Technology. ADVATEK was founded in 1995 and has since been a leader in the manufacturing of high-end CNC machined components. Their facility is equipped with 11 Makino machines. Their focus is on providing top-quality parts at competitive prices and efficient delivery. Located in Bayswater, Victoria, ADVATEK has supplied components to a variety of industries including medical, telecommunications, and aerospace. Their facility has grown to include a 600sqm factory that operates 24 hours a day. The team at ADVATEK is composed of industry experts who have remained committed to the same level of passion and vision since the company's launch over 25 years ago. With many familiar faces at ADVATEK spanning decades, their team is unified, efficient, communicative, focused on quality, and ready to deliver. They…
June 2, 2023
In the intensely competitive world of manufacturing, innovation is essential. Accordingly, Australia’s largest bus body manufacturer Volgren has made its name with innovative, sustainable and efficient public transport solutions. The company built its first bus in 1979 with the promise of creating a more reliable, comfortable and longer-lasting vehicle with lower operating costs than others then available. Today, Volgren designs, manufactures and assembles public transport buses of all types across multiple technologies, including zero-emission vehicles. Thanks to its 400-strong manufacturing, operations and aftersales support teams across NSW, Victoria, Queensland and WA, its bus bodies are close to 90% locally produced and offer the lowest lifetime cost of any bus in Australia. Since 2018 Volgren has delivered dozens of hybrid and electric buses to Australian operators and is now fast-tracking delivery of Australia’s first European hydrogen fuel cell buses. Volgren’s E-bus, the Optimus E-Bus, is one of its class’s lightest zero-emission bus bodies and operates successfully in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. The body has been effectively engineered to suit multiple electric chassis and complies with Australia’s highest safety and flammability standards for buses. Although Volgren officially began…
June 1, 2023
The research, published in Nature, could help extend the applications of titanium alloys, improve sustainability and drive innovative materials technologies. Titanium and titanium alloys are essential for the clean energy transition, defence and aerospace sectors. The research holds promise for a new class of more sustainable high-performance titanium alloys for applications in aerospace, biomedical, chemical engineering, space and energy technologies. The research was led by the University of Sydney and RMIT in collaboration with Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Melbourne company Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. Co-lead researcher, University of Sydney Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure) Professor Simon Ringer said: “This research delivers a new titanium alloy system capable of a wide and tunable range of mechanical properties, high manufacturability, enormous potential for emissions reduction and insights for materials design in kindred systems.” The new materials belong to an alloy class that has long been the backbone of the titanium industry. They consist of a mixture of two forms of titanium crystals, called alpha-titanium phase and beta-titanium phase, each corresponding to a specific arrangement of atoms. While…
May 31, 2023
For those who aren’t familiar with this product, Cerakote is a thin ceramic coating that is applied as a resin and forms a 3D ceramic matrix as it cures. This makes it possible to protect surfaces that are not made of metal. The formulation of this technology makes it possible for the coating to withstand extremely high temperatures (sometimes as high as 1100 degrees Celsius) without altering its appearance. Once cured, the coating becomes very hard and extremely scratch and abrasive-resistant. A Cerakote coating also provides excellent protection against corrosion, thermal stress, and thermal barriers for applications that are sensitive to temperature changes. This type of coating continues to exhibit outstanding performance over an extended period of time. Because of this, Cerakote is ideal for use in defence and military applications as well as on exhausts, pistons, and other components that will be exposed to high temperatures. Cerakote has been carefully engineered to provide maximum substrate protection and improved coating performance when compared…
May 31, 2023
On behalf of the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), which owns and operates AMW, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the many organisations and people involved in putting on the event. First and foremost - the 348 exhibitors who put on a fantastic showcase and the 15,914 attendees (an all-time record) - from 29 different countries - who came to visit Australian Manufacturing Week. In addition to the visitors we also had over 3,000 exhibitor personnel and over 300 students attend the show, making it almost 20,000 people involved. I would also like to thank our contractors who largely go unnoticed in the overall scheme of putting on such a large event but are an integral part of making it happen. So at the risk of embarrassing some companies and individuals, I write this article to thank them and give our readers some insight into the mechanics of running our…
May 26, 2023
Australian engineering and family-owned business AE Gibson & Sons is in its fifth generation of operation, with historical roots that can be traced back to the late 1800s. They’re an award-winning industry leader in designing, servicing, and supplying specialised machinery and optimised robotic automation systems, with a mission to help their clients implement more sustainable manufacturing operations in industries including timber, renewables, biomass, waste processing, infrastructure, agriculture, and other heavy industrial applications throughout Australia and the entire Asia Pacific region. Located in Kendall NSW, AE Gibson’s has recently become the successful recipients of a share in $534,667 from round two of the NSW state government's Regional Job Creation Fund. The funding has helped to develop a newly established robot training and demonstration centre and facilitate AE Gibson’s mission to expedite training for their wave of apprentices that are brought into the business as well as junior engineer graduates, whilst upskilling existing employees. The intent is to develop their skills in the areas of robotic automation as the business expands into emerging sectors in Australia and…
May 25, 2023
The Re-Engineering Australia Foundation (REA) is calling on the manufacturing industry, particularly in Victoria, to rally together and financially support two exceptional teams of students representing Australia at the prestigious F1 in Schools World Final in Singapore from 8-15 September 2023. Every year, students nationwide participate in the F1 in Schools STEM challenge. This competition challenges their engineering and manufacturing skills by designing and fabricating a miniature F1 car using industry-standard technology. Teams compete at regional, state, and national finals, aiming to earn a spot at the F1 in Schools World Finals, where they will compete against 70 teams from around the globe. The 2023 National Representatives from Victoria include Team Aurora, from Trinity Grammar in Kew, and team Hadron, a collaboration between students from Alamanda K–9 College, Point Cook and Phoenix P–12 Community College, Ballarat. Australia has an outstanding track record in this competition, having previously clinched the F1 in Schools world title on seven occasions. Notably, four of these World Championship titles were secured by teams from Victoria. This year, two talented teams from Victoria emerged…
May 24, 2023
Quality control is crucial to any manufacturing process, and for the surface finishing industry, this is no exception. A quality-controlled finishing process ensures the performance of the applied coatings or finishes to the surface material, ensuring aesthetic results are met, as well as achieving the highest durability and longevity. When it comes to powder coating – one of Australia’s most used surface finishes – QUALICOAT is the globally-recognised quality label for architectural powder coating; and we now have a QUALICOAT License applicator right here in Australia. After extensive audits of their powder coating process, DECO Australia has become the only accredited powder coater in Australia to hold the global QUALICOAT license. “This is a very important part of our value proposition to our customers,” said DECO General Manager Richard Hamber. “It is not just saying we have the best quality, we now have proof and independent certification that we have an unrivalled position in the market when it comes to providing the best quality powder coating.” To obtain a quality licence, powder coaters must undergo an audit of their processes from start…
May 19, 2023
The new Code of Practice for the management of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) in the construction industry, effective from 1 May 2023 in Queensland, marks the country’s first silica dust Code of Practice. It sets out how to manage the risks associated with exposure to RCS, which has been linked to serious occupational lung diseases such as silicosis. According to Craig Dearling, General Manager – Workforce Services, Master Builders Queensland, the new code provides guidance on how persons in control of a business or undertaking (PCBU's) can safely manage RCS and comply with their general duty of ensuring the health and safety of people at work. While the local construction and building industry has been quick to understand and adopt preventative measures and mitigate the risks associated with RCS exposure, there is still work to be done. “On the whole, our members take active steps to ensure health and safety at work and genuinely care about the impact on their workers. However, there are challenges in the context of an industry made up of so many small businesses that…
May 14, 2023
The Repco Supercars Championship began its 2023 season with the Newcastle 500 in early March, after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic. Supercars is the premier touring car motorsport series in Australia and includes the famous Bathurst 1000 held in early October. Dick Johnson Racing, racing under the Shell V-Power Racing Team name, was founded by Dick Johnson in 1980 and is Australia's oldest motor racing team competing in the Supercars Championship. Over the years, the team's drivers have won ten Australian Touring Car Championship titles and have taken four victories in the Bathurst 1000. Behind the drivers and their success are not only the dedicated members within Dick Johnson Racing, but external partner businesses working closely with them. One such partner Is Ian Whitwood, from IDW CAD/CAM Solutions who, since 2009, has supported Dick Johnson Racing with TopSolid design and machining software. In that time, the team has won four drivers championships and three team championships. Ian and TopSolid have been an integral part of that winning/high-performance culture. Back in 2009, the team bucked the trend of…
May 14, 2023
By the time Friday was half over, the large crews running the 348 exhibitor stands were still talking, selling, showing off, and demonstrating their wares to the crowds, and plenty more visitors were still streaming in through the doors. By the closing time of 4 pm on Friday, there had been an unprecedented 15,914 visitors to the AMW2023 show. Far more than anyone had anticipated. What an incredible number. AMTIL would also like to thank the many visitors to the show. All 15,914 of you over the week. The effort made to take time off work, to come down to the venue, and to experience the best of manufacturing is also a mammoth feat not lost on us. The show doesn’t really stop, in fact by midday Sunday, while most of the largest machines had been moved from the floor, onto trucks, and back out into the world, Shane Infanti and the crew were still working to make sure it was a successful bump out. “We’re all so overwhelmed with the fantastic response to AMW 2023, Australia’s biggest premier manufacturing…