Member News

Food & beverage is an important part of manufacturing, itself an important sector in rebuilding the Australian economy post-pandemic. Food is the biggest part of the local manufacturing industry. Out of the top 100 Australian manufacturers by revenue, 35 are in food & beverage, and it makes up over a quarter of all manufacturing jobs and value-added output. The sector is a net exporter, selling to more than 200 markets and enjoying an enviable “clean and green” reputation globally for excellence. It is vital and resilient, continuing to grow even through recent conditions for manufacturers described as “reminiscent of... the Global Financial Crisis (GFC)”. Food manufacturing is also viewed by some of our leading businesspeople as a key area for accelerating the country’s economic recovery. To do the best at the important job ahead, the food & beverage sector – like every other – will need to find better ways of working. This includes investing in its people and processes, and adopting…

Light amplification of stimulated emission of radiation – or laser for short –  technology does not sit still. Since the first demonstration of a ruby laser in 1960, humankind has sought to harness this versatile light source to create and develop new applications never before achieved. Lasers have become well established in industrial processes such as welding, the cladding of fatigued or worn parts, or for cutting metal used in manufacturing sectors such as automotive, aerospace and medical instruments. Then there is the vital task of product traceability, where lasers can ablate surfaces such as glass wine bottles with a permanent Julian code or identification mark. They can even engrave a unique identification code on every medical instrument used in hospitals – readable by both humans and machines. More recently a new process has taken manufacturing by storm: that of 3D metal printing. For more than 25 years Raymax Applications has found the latest “best in class” lasers and laser technology for companies and research facilities across…

Williams will be working closely with Dimac’s Managing Director Paul Fowler to ensure they continue to provide customers with innovative and productive solutions combined with professional levels of service, support and back up. “Matthew’s intimate knowledge of the CNC machining industry and the needs of our customers will be of huge benefit to the business,” said Fowler. “Despite 2020’s challenging environment we believe there is a renewed confidence and optimism for Australia’s manufacturing sector – reflected in the Morrison government’s commitment to a $1.5bn Modern Manufacturing Strategy over the next four years. We anticipate good demand for our range of solutions.” “Quite simply we see our role as ensuring CNC milling and turning operators have access to a range of products that will optimise the efficiency and productivity of their CNC machine,” Mr Fowler added. William has an extensive record of industry experience, including managing sales for a leading CNC woodworking machinery provider for the past five years. He has also held sales and application roles in the CNC…

Bremont is a true British manufacturing success story. Founded by brothers Nick and Giles English in 2002, the company specialises in the manufacture of certified chronometers for the aviation sector. These watches are assembled, as well as shock- and quality-tested, at the manufacturer’s dedicated headquarters in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, in the UK. Production of the main components, such as stainless steel backs and casings, takes place just a few minutes’ drive away. High demand and the launch of six new watch designs meant that Bremont’s production capacity had to be increased. To achieve this, the company purchased an NTX 1000, a state-of-the-art five-axis machining centre from DMG MORI, which came equipped with tool packages from Sandvik Coromant. The project was six months in the making, explains Mathew Bates, a machine tool investment specialist from Sandvik Coromant’s UK Machine Tool Solutions team. “From the beginning, the objective was to deliver a ‘right first time’ solution,” explains Bates. “We wanted Bremont to be able to use…

Next time you’re driving down the road, take a look around you: crash barriers, light poles, road signs, the re-bar in the concrete bridge, even the very car you’re driving. All of these elements rely on welding. Welding played an enormous role in the second industrial revolution. Without welding, we wouldn’t have the modern motor car, high-speed trains, or jet planes. We wouldn’t be able to generate power. We wouldn’t have advanced manufacturing facilities. Our world today simply wouldn’t look the same. Welders build the very world in which we live. However, it’s not just the pervasive nature of the welding process that makes it so essential – welding is also vital to the strength of Australia’s economy. Essential to employment Australia’s welding and fabrication industry is responsible for the employment of more than 78,900 people, 91% of whom are employed on a full-time basis. While not an absolute, part-time and casual roles are more…

The $1.3bn Modern Manufacturing Initiative is the centrepiece of the strategy, promising to enable businesses to access funds in order to transform ideas into commercial reality. I’ll come back to this later, but at present full details of the Modern Manufacturing Initiative are yet to be announced. Let’s change the subject back to some of the other aspects of the Government’s proposed funding. The Manufacturing Modernisation Fund (MMF) has $52.8m that is targeted at supporting roughly 150 companies that have a solid business plan to invest in new technology, upskill workers and create new jobs. Great idea. Great initiative. This is the second round of this Program and the early indications from the first round is that the majority of recipients have achieved revenue…

A true picture of a manufacturer’s product quality comes from a look into the shop’s quality control area, especially where there are parts with stickers or tags calling for “re-inspection.” The tags indicate that for some reason the workpieces were rejected or must be returned to production for rework. Scrap and rework result when manufacturing processes do not meet expectations. Some processes, especially machining, are based on the interaction of many variables and thereby are subject to uncertainty and some degree of unreliability. It is essential that manufacturers recognise the sources of uncertainty, understand how they arise, and find ways to resolve them. In many cases, however, the sources of process uncertainty are not recognised or are ignored and accepted as standard practice. In the end, overcoming uncertainty and limiting…

Growing from a small engineering start-up to a world leader successfully manufacturing to the exacting quality standards of leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Carbon Revolution is exactly the kind of high-tech, innovative company that the Australian manufacturing industry needs more of. The Carbon Revolution story began at Deakin University in the mid-2000s, where a group of engineering students, staff and industry mentors had begun developing carbon-fibre wheels for teams entering the Formula SAE student motorsports competition. In 2007, a group of them decided to try to commercialise their work, and with a small federal grant the company was formally established. Dingle came on-board a few months later. Today Carbon Revolution operates from a purpose-built facility on Deakin’s Waurn Ponds campus, in the suburbs of Geelong, Victoria. The company made its ASX debut on 29 November 2019, with its lightweight carbon fibre wheels now being used by some of the premier car brands in the world including Ferrari and Ford. Automated Solutions Australia (ASA)…

The global outsourcing industry has grown exponentially over the years but continues to have a variable reputation. In 2020, these concerns were heightened by COVID-19 with businesses shocked at how quickly their operations can be disrupted and vulnerable. Media coverage has typically spotlighted the negative impacts of outsourcing and focused on job losses to offshore competitors and damage to the Australian economy. Now we’re seeing more businesses, even start-ups, taking advantage of outsourcing to qualified professionals and using it as a tool for growth and expansion. What was once thought of as a simple way to access cheap overseas labour is now changing as more businesses look to outsource domestically – a practice known as ‘onshore outsourcing’. While onshore outsourcing is nothing new, the variety of functions that are outsourced has grown in recent years. Information technology, public relations, human resources, virtual assistance, engineering, distribution and logistics, and finance and accounting…

Each year, CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) work with a range of industry stakeholders to give an updated estimate of the cost to generate electricity for new power plants in Australia, through their GenCost report. This year, the report — which is now open for public consultation — was improved by using a more accurate system for calculating the levelised cost of energy (LCOE, a metric to compare the cost of electricity generation technology). CSIRO Chief Energy Economist Paul Graham said the new metric added extra insight to this year’s report. “Previous GenCost reports added arbitrary amounts of storage costs, but this year we used a model of the electricity system that optimises the amount of storage needed, and also includes additional transmission expenditure,” Graham said. “Even taking into account these extra system integration costs, solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind continue to be the cheapest new sources of electricity for any expected share of renewables in the grid…

NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said Romar will add to the Western Parkland City’s aerospace, defence and medical manufacturing capabilities. “Romar has been based in Western Sydney since it was established in 1968 and has excelled at advanced manufacturing with knowledge in precision moulding, micromoulding and medical device manufacturing,” Ayres said. “Now this local business wants to go to the next level and the AMRF will be a state-of-the-art facility which will give Romar the opportunity to continue to innovate and achieve its goals.” Romar Chief Executive Officer Alan Lipman said the company is keen to work with the Western Parkland City Authority on the design of the AMRF and remain involved when it is up and running. “This is an exciting opportunity for Romar to pass on our knowledge and experience in Advanced Manufacturing around our 3D metal printing technology,” said Lipman. :We want to grow the Advanced Manufacturing skills base in this country and collaborating with the development of the…

With 2020 dominated by COVID-19 lockdowns, AMTIL’s events calendar has been confined to online gatherings, with our Virtual Meeting webinar series proving a great success. However, as Australia begins to open up with the virus largely contained, it has now become possible to resume holding social events such as the AMTIL Golf Day and networking sessions. “Like everyone, we had to adapt quickly when the pandemic hit, and we got really nice feedback for things like the webinars we ran,” said Kim Banks, Events Manager at AMTIL. “But face-to-face social gatherings are very important to AMTIL, so we’re thrilled to be able to start running these events again. And we’re looking forward to catching up with our members too.” With the pandemic still highly active overseas, appropriate measures will be in place at all upcoming AMTIL events to ensure they are are conducted safely. Moreover, with the ongoing possibility of further outbreaks in Australia for the foreseeable future, AMTIL may be forced to make changes…

As COVID-19 infection rates drop dramatically, Victorians welcome back normality. Or something close to it. Since 11:59pm, 8 November, metropolitan Melbourne entered the third stage of reopening, in line with regional Victoria. Manufacturers, like all employers, must be vigilant in managing COVID risks before re-opening the doors. Manufacturing workers cannot work from home, and the layout of a factory may make physical distancing difficult to achieve. So, what should a business do? Get a COVIDSafe Plan! Every Victorian workplace must have a COVIDSafe Plan based on six key principles: Physical distancing, where work is performed 1.5m apart, and the 4sqm rule is applied. Continue to work from home, if possible. Wear face masks with the provision of face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE). An employee must wear face masks. Good hygiene practices by supplying effective sanitiser, ensuring frequent surface cleaning. Keep records of all people (workers, visitors, customers, suppliers) who enter the workplace. Avoid interaction in enclosed spaces, and where possible enhance air flow. Create workforce bubbles to minimise cross-infection between the workforce, staggering work…