Member News

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The Future Solutions Speaker Sessions have been such a success here at AMW2023, really. Every seat in each session has been filled. On Tuesday the theme was Additive Manufacturing. Wednesday focused on Women in Manufacturing, then yesterday was Australian Manufacturing. Today we looked into the Future of manufacturing here in Australia. Of particular interest, and one following up for further information was the Breakthrough Victoria, Jason Coonan, the Director – Advanced Manufacturing, who summarised current trends relevant to investment in nanomanufacturing, quantum, and other ground-breaking areas. And still, each zone and pavilion around the halls roared with activity. All the way down to Peddinghaus with their massive rotating, welding carriage for long product steel girders, one of the largest on the planet, brought in from the USA for the show; to the nano-projects undertaken by the small crew at Microscopy, the attractions were enthralling, sometimes randomly scattered. Maybe that’s why it takes people so long to get around this huge space. Another positive for the last day of an industrial show of this size is that so many of these massive machines have…

Day Three of AMW2023 showcases a range of manufacturing successes and advances happening here at home, some of these exporting out into the world market. Today, the show floor is pumping, chock-full of immense displays of machine tooling outfits, CNC cutting tools, and grinders. From where I stand, I see sales managers, CEOs, and business managers meeting as many people as possible. What an incredible, active industry. Some of the bigger companies from Europe are now making their moves to establish Australian headquarters. They have the confidence of a big market here. Schunk, Trumpf, Bonfiglioli and Trotec, ASA, SWI Engineering, and others, are all-powerful suppliers of many international tool brands. This year, AMW has a lot of enticing displays with extra focus. The SAVIC electric motorcycle is here.  The Applied EV Blanc robot vehicle is also here, which makes me happy.  Altair Software and Applied EV got together and made this entirely new sector of transport a future possibility. The Future Solutions Speaker program, proudly supported by Autodesk, spans the wide brown land of Australian Manufacturing. David…

From down on the show floor, as the clock whizzed past 10am on Wednesday, the hall was swamped, and the pressure didn’t stop all day. Exhibitors I managed to speak to were impressed by the numbers in the aisles as well as the quality of their visitors. Walking from one end of the show floor took about an hour if I tried hard to not talk to anyone. And for me, that’s not easy to do. There was quite a thorough assessment of the Federal Budget on offer by the crew at William Buck with an online meeting that covered many areas of business. Click through HERE to access the recording of the presentation if you have time later. Today’s theme in the Future Solutions Featured Speaker Sessions involved the industry women in Australia and their place in manufacturing. The CEO of SEMMA (South East Melbourne Manufacturing Association) dismissed the label of ‘Pale, Male and Stale’, and introduced two women working and succeeding in the field of manufacturing, one an Apprentice of the Year. Their…

The crowds in the AMW2023 halls were very impressed as soon as they walked in on the first day. A straw poll was taken of what they were thinking, and one yelled, "We're back baby!" I think he may have had some skin in the game. There are some very large stands showing off some incredible technology. This massive show offers the perfect setting for people from all over Australian manufacturing sectors to access suitable resources, exchange ideas and network with the largest group of like-minded working manufacturers. By midday on the first day, we all thought the show couldn’t get any busier. There were crowds and queues in front of John Hart, OKUMA, and SWI Industries. Earlier on in the day, the very first presentation for the Future Solutions Speaker Program was Neil Matthews, the Head of Engineering at Titomic Ltd was crowded to bursting. Matthews detailed Titomic’s cold spray AM process and fed into research being done to the coating process for the aerospace, defence, transport and other manufacturing areas. Later in the day, the CSIRO PhD Cherry Chen, was digging into some…

The Hon Ben Carroll MP, Victorian Minister for Industry and Innovation opened AMW2023 at 10:10am this morning at the Future Solutions Speakers Stage. AMTIL was also honoured to have Tony Garvey, a celebrated Elder from the local Wurundjeri mob invite them to proceed, with a Welcome to Country for AMW 2023. Doors are open!  Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 9-12 May 2023, Australian Manufacturing gets to show off a little for the whole week. Organised by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), AMW2023 will fill ‘Jeff’s Shed’ almost to bursting, with 346 companies showing off the latest manufacturing tech, processes, and support services. Some of the biggest machine tool systems in the world will be there, in operation! The Future Solutions Speakers Stage at 10:10 AM on Tuesday 9th May. There is so much to see, with Seven Zones in the biggest room in Australia. Manufacturing presentations and attractions are the name of the show from Additive Manufacturing, to Machine Tools, Robotics and Automation. There’s also a bunch of manufacturing solution, supporting the industry, including legal, accounting and investment.…

You are invited to attend the Opening of AMW2023, the Inauguration Ceremony for the beginning of the biggest exhibition showing Australian Manufacturing off to the world. We are filling the MCEC to the brim, from Tuesday to Friday. AMW2023 will have on display some of the biggest machine tool systems in the world. While at the same time, bringing nanotech and additive manufacturing into focus with demonstrations of the very latest research prototypes. Register online now at australianmanufacturingweek.com.au The Welcome to Country and inauguration ceremony will take place at the Future Solutions Stage from 10:10 AM on Tuesday 9th May. This is the first event for the show. AMTIL is honoured to have Tony Garvey, a celebrated Elder from the local Wurundjeri mob invite them to proceed, with a Welcome to Country for AMW 2023. The Hon. Ben Carroll MP, Victorian Minister for Industry and Innovation, and Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty will then officially open the show! Over the four days, over 360 exhibitors will show their best side, in over 10,000sq metres of floor space. There will be presentations on…

Ms. O’Brien joined MCEC in January 2023 and has brought a wealth of leadership experience in the tourism and events industry. She is a former CEO of Food and Wine Victoria, producers of Australia’s internationally acclaimed Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. Most recently she has managed her own strategy consultancy while operating as a CEO for Wine Victoria, and previously interim CEO for Ballarat Regional Tourism, where she led the co-design of Visitor Economy Recovery Plans. AMT: Your work history speaks of a deep knowledge and passion for public events. Tell me about the direction and drive that has kept with you in this sector. Natalie O’Brien: It's only when you’re older, and reflect back on your career you ask yourself where did my passion come from? My passion is absolutely people and connecting with people. There’s so much energy for people to participate and collaborate in the community in Melbourne  I think my career in events, tourism and hospitality stems from being…

As the leading supplier of analytical instruments, Applied Spectra stands at the forefront of laser ablation-based elemental analysis techniques, simplifying the process of elemental chemical analysis, while delivering rapid, high-precision results that are environmentally friendly. Today, laser analysis offers a compelling value proposition over traditional chemical analysis methods. A case of taking chemical analysis into space was the arrival on Mars, of NASA’s Curiosity Rover. Deploying a LIBS instrument, named ChemCam, it is analysing the chemical composition of the Martian terrain. Scientists from Applied Spectra worked in partnership with NASA to develop the instrument. An integrated module, ChemCam includes a laser, telescope, a stereo pair of navigation cameras, and a three-channel optical spectrometer inside the rover itself (just to name some parts). The instrument permits Curiosity can take thousands of LIBS spectra a day and perform rapid elemental analysis of rocks and soils remotely making chemical analysis on the surface of Mars with unprecedented speed and communicating the results back to Earth. “Aside from this spectacular contribution to space exploration, Applied Spectra continue to develop their instruments making available…