Member News

The Ai Group’s Australian Performance of Business Index (Australian PBI) fell a further 12.6 points to 27.2 in April – the lowest monthly result in the Australian PBI and the largest single-month drop since the series commenced in 2005. The Australian PBI is a weighted composite of Ai Group’s indexes for Manufacturing, Services and Construction. The news regarding the Australian PBI came on the back of last Friday’s announcement that the Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) dropped by 17.9 points to 35.8 in April. This represented the largest month-to-month fall in the 28-year history of the index as Australian manufacturing contracted at its worst pace since April 2009. amtil.com.au/australian-pmi-march2020-amtil-2 The Safe Work Australia website has been updated to provide a central hub of work health and safety (WHS) guidance and tools to help Australian workplaces manage the health and safety risks posed by COVID-19. The website gives users easy access to guidance that is directly relevant to their…

With 80 years of experience, Tecalemit has become a name synonymous with lubrication equipment, fluid transfer, fluid measurement and workshop equipment for the automotive, transport, agriculture, industrial and mining industries around the globe. Customers include well-known companies such as Caterpillar Underground, BHP and Rio Tinto. Tecalemit has a long-standing relationship with John Hart, a testament to the longevity and reliability of the first Mazak machine the company purchased. Nobin Thomas, Production Supervisor at Tecalemit, comments: “We bought our first Mazak in 2001, and it’s still going strong today due to the world-class service and spare parts from John Hart.” Tecalemit recently purchased a new Mazak, a Quick Turn Compact 100MY CNC turning centre. The machine features milling capability and Y-axis functionality and is equipped with a high-rigidity integral spindle/motor for unsurpassed machining performance. It is equipped with a 12-position turret with high-speed indexing and minimum tool interference. High-accuracy positioning is ensured by the high-rigidity linear roller guides…

Founded in 1984 and located in southern Maine, Arundel Machine has evolved into one of New England’s leading CNC manufacturers of precision-machined components. The company has built a fantastic team of manufacturing engineers that produce more than 1,500 CNC programs each year while also designing many custom fixtures and tooling. Arundel Machine manufactures products to support clients including the US Department of Defence and the US Navy – all with stringent level one and safety critical requirements. It also serves the oil & gas industry, with level one subsea components that sustain the extreme pressures and temperatures of the ocean floor. A third major industry is aerospace, providing parts for engine and propulsion components, actuation, landing gear, and sensor components. Finally, the company provides flow and pressure components for the semiconductor sector, which requires a deep understanding of…

Tooling manufacturers offer a wide variety of tool holder styles, with each engineered for optimum performance in certain machining applications. A machining shop, therefore, should base its choice of tool holders on its specific operations as well as on the parts it produces. Nevertheless, while shops seek to acquire the most advanced machine technology and cutting tool materials, they often place minimal importance on selecting, applying and maintaining tool holders that best fit their specific production needs. All holders are not created equal No one tool holding method is appropriate for all possible applications. A tool holder engineered to carry out high-speed finishing operations typically will lack the rigidity and strength needed to be effective in, for instance, deep roughing of raw castings. Conversely, a holder meant for rough machining usually will lack balance qualities that would allow it to run smoothly at high speeds in finishing operations. Addition, the robust design and bulk of a roughing…

The sharp spike into positive conditions in March, on the back of the unusual surge in demand for manufactured food and groceries, was more than completely reversed in April. All activity indices plunged, with activity levels now reminiscent of the falls of 2009 during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Manufacturers cited a range of COVID-19 issues in April, with the most prevalent including: no new sales due to shutdowns; major customers cancelling orders; supply chain problems with inter-state freight movements and delays; and increased prices for raw materials. “April 2020 was devastating for Australia’s manufacturers and their employees,” said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox. “Sales plummeted, new orders fell precipitously, production was culled and employment fell more steeply than at any time since the Australian PMI was first launched in 1992.” All…

The Federal Government has launched a new voluntary coronavirus tracing app, COVIDSafe, that will speed up the process of identifying people who have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with coronavirus. For more information on the app, visit: health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covidsafe-app The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), peak industry body for innovation technology (IT), backed the app after receiving a detailed briefing from Government. AIIA CEO Ron Gauci said: “Based on this detailed briefing, and understanding that the app does not track your geo-location and that personal data and cyber security concerns have been designed into the app and through government regulations, the AIIA therefore supports the government tracing app and strongly recommends that all Australians download it.” As Australian manufacturers look for ways to assist with COVID-19 equipment and supply needs, many are facing the regulatory challenges of working in the medical sector for the first time. The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) has published a set of FAQs…

The technology belongs to EVOCRA, a water treatment company formed in Tasmania in 2011. The patented process, known as Ozofractionative Catalysed Reagent Addition (OCRA), literally floats the microplastic out of the water so it can be collected and sent for recycling. EVOCRA’s Managing Director Mark Sykes says OCRA is a solution for many water-based environmental challenges. “Microplastics are plastic items smaller than 5mm that are found in everyday products such as sunscreen, shampoo and detergent,” says Sykes. “Too small to be filtered out in the treatment plants, they wash into waterways where they harm our aquatic wildlife. OCRA offers a positive solution to this complex environmental issue. The technology can be applied as a pre-treatment, that is, before the plastic enters the sewerage system or at the treatment plant to remove the particles before discharge.” Dr Thava Palanisami, a world leader in microplastics research, is working with Evocra: “Evocra was an early entrant into finding a solution for microplastics which is a potential planetary boundary threat. OCRA has demonstrated it has…

Through the Business Portal you can apply for certain government assistance programs, lodge activity statements and pay super guarantee through the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH). The ATO’s Chief Digital Officer John Dardo says the ATO is here to help those needing to set up a myGovID quickly. “In the past week we’ve seen over 800,000 ABNs logging into ATO portals,” said Dardo. “We have also seen over 120,000 ABNs setting up their myGovID to enable them to have online access. We expect to see similar enrolments in the coming week. “If you need to use the ATO Business Portal and you don’t have a myGovID yet don’t worry. Just download the myGovID app and follow the steps. Over 80% of people can set it up without any assistance. If you get stuck, we have instructions and videos on the web and our call centres are able to help.” myGovID is an app you download to your smart device to prove…

One of the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic is a realisation on how much Australia needs its own robust advanced manufacturing sector. Coming to the aid of a medical system crushed world-wide by the COVID-19 pandemic, ANCA has joined the NOTUS Emergency Ventilator Program, a Grey Innovation-led initiative to rapidly manufacture sophisticated ventilators locally. Banding together with other Australian manufacturing businesses, the consortium harnesses various industry capabilities to make more ventilators locally. “As a business we don’t normally manufacture parts for machines such as ventilators,” said Pat Boland, ANCA Co-Founder and Managing Director. “We were approached to join the initiative and were able to utilise our machine shop to manufacture components and skilled labour to build key sub-assemblies of the ventilators.” ANCA has been one of Australia’s most successful advanced manufacturers for forty plus years – designing, manufacturing and exporting 99% of its highly accurate CNC grinders to the global market. It supplies to a wide range of industries, including the medical industry, and has been classified in the…

Catten Industries is proudly owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Ian and Latinka Cubitt and their three talented adult children: Nicole, Sean and Bianca. A long-term AMTIL member based in Bayswater in Melbourne’s east, Catten is a thriving hub of custom design and creative activity. There is no typical work day for Ian, the company’s Managing Director, and Latinka, its General Manger - Administration, because of the variety of products it manufactures and the industries it supplies. “We are a jobbing shop and new varying jobs come in regularly,” says Ian. “At Catten, there is a constant requirement to innovate and develop new projects.” Ian speaks about some exciting jobs completed recently in the company’s factory: “We made a steel circular spinning apparatus for an Australian Institute of Sport supplier. This is used by high-board divers to practice their pikes and spinning plus it’s helped cut their training time substantially. “We work…

The staff and student team has sewn 100 of the prototype masks as part of a Federal Government initiative to meet potential shortages in safety gear during the pandemic. The design has been through several variations and has now been scaled up for further non-medical trials through AMTIL. If successful, it could soon be produced by local manufacturers. “It’s a fantastic example of agility and collaboration,” said AMTIL Business Adviser Bruno Bello. “RMIT’s ability to provide IP and speed to market with a fantastic product concept has been invaluable.” Dr Scott Mayson, Associate Dean (Research & Innovation) in RMIT’s School of Fashion & Textiles, said their alternative experimental mask was designed to be a comfortable, secure one-size fits all product. “It has been developed specifically to fit a broad range of faces with just one strap and a unique under chin profile that maintained a seal,” Mayson said. “The top panel conforms to the face with minimal pressure around the nose but also allows for expansion when talking or…

The Federal Government’s recent commitment to support an increase in the domestic manufacturing of critical products such as medical supplies is a good start, however there is more that can be done. According to AMCL Chief Executive, Ben Lazzaro, a co-ordinated push to ‘buy local’ has the potential to play a big part in getting Australia back online. “Australia’s economic landscape will be forever changed, however there is an opportunity for federal, state and local governments, as well as Australia’s business community, to take the lead and put policies in place that prioritise genuine Aussie products for major projects, supply contracts and everyday consumables,” said Lazzaro. “Reinvesting in local industry and local jobs through sustainable purchasing policies will go a long way towards helping Australia bounce back.” Research conducted by Roy Morgan Research in 2017 found that while three-quarters of businesses had a preference for buying Australian products, only 26% of those surveyed were found…

The Australian Made Campaign (AMCL) has joined calls for Australia’s business community and all levels of government to adopt ‘buy Australian first’ procurement policies, to help fast-track the country’s resurgence as it plans its recovery from the impact of COVID-19. australianmade.com.au The Industry Capability Network (ICN) reported that it had received more than 600 expressions of interest through its COVID-19 Response Portal in just four weeks since its launch. The COVID-19 Response Portal was launched on 23 March to help businesses keep the supply chain wheels turning during the coronavirus pandemic. To visit the ICN COVID-19 Response Portal, go to: https://gateway.icn.org.au/project/4531/covid-19-response The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC)’s Manufacturer Response Register has also received over 2,100 submissions from organisations and individuals willing to support all levels of governments in response to the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.amgc.org.au/covid-19-manufacturer-response/ The NSW Government is calling on local manufacturers to help supply medical equipment and hygiene products to essential services workers. If your business can manufacture…