Member News

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…

The notus Emergency Invasive Ventilator Program, an initiative led by Richmond-based Grey Innovation and supported by the Victorian Government and Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), will supply life-saving invasive ventilators and ensure Australia does not have a shortfall amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will supply 2,000 units to the Federal Government, and the Victorian Government has announced its intention to purchase another 2,000 units. Grey Innovation, a leading technology commercialisation company, has secured a licence from a prominent global manufacturer to develop ventilators in Australia. At its headquarters in Clayton, BAMS will be manufacturing the test equipment required to check the ventilators. With a time-critical schedule, BAMS will begin delivering some items in the first week of May. With many of the associates putting their hands up to work on the project, they will be working extra shifts and weekends to meet the tight deadlines. Gavin Smith, President of Bosch Australia, is proud the local manufacturing team can play a pivotal role in the fight against COVID-19. “This consortium shows…

When a candy manufacturer in the US needed a specific machine to manufacture soft-gummy candies it turned to JH Tester Industrial Automation, which has been providing the candy manufacturer with machine control solutions for more than 10 years. Located in the western suburbs of Sydney, JH Tester has been in operation for over 35 years. Family-owned and operated, the company was started in 1980 by John Tester providing technical service and support to the textile industry. Over 20 years ago, JH Tester transitioned its focus to the design and manufacture of automated systems for a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, food and beverage, building, mining, infrastructure, and water processing. “Our specific strength is motion and motion control – anything that has servo controls is our sweet spot,” Tester said. “And we also have strengths in PLCs and HMIs. We pride ourselves on providing innovative simple automation solutions to often complex challenges in the manufacturing sector.” Four modules – one solution Designed and built in Australia, the confectionery machine features 18 MOVI-C Movidrive…

Designed by Defence Science and Technology Group (DST), Axiom Precision Manufacturing commenced production last week, with 600 of the new face shields already being distributed. Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said this new partnership will ensure Australia sustains a sufficient supply of shields over the months ahead. “The Morrison Government is committed to ensuring our frontline health and aged care workers have access to masks and other personal protective equipment,” said Reynolds. “This includes boosting domestic manufacturing capability and capacity, and creating a pathway through to manage the virus. This initiative will not only help boost the supply of face shields across the country, but also expand industry capability within Australia.” Initially, Axiom will produce around 1,000 face shields per day, with this set to increase as the manufacturing process matures. “The Australian-made shield is lightweight so it can be worn comfortably for long periods, made from materials which Australia has ready access to, and is cost-competitive to manufacture compared to imported masks,” Reynolds said. “It provides sovereign manufacturing capability to the…

A team at the University’s Advanced Manufacturing Precinct (AMP) have so far made 950 prototype face shields to help protect clinicians from airborne droplets that can carry the virus. Those on the coronavirus frontline have spoken out in recent weeks about the dire shortage of protective gear in Australia, with major hospitals in Victoria and Tasmania contacting the AMP for advice on manufacturing solutions. Within days of receiving requests, facility technical staff had improved on an open-source face shield design and delivered the first batches to hospitals for testing. AMP Director Professor Milan Brandt said they were now printing larger batches on the facility’s bank of 3D printers, while also seeking industry partners to look at mass manufacture. “We immediately understood the vital role of protective equipment in helping Australian healthcare workers get through this challenging time and have pulled out all the stops for an urgent response on this,” said Brandt. “This includes refocusing existing partnerships and projects to meet this need.” RMIT’s partnership with the BioFab3D lab at…

It’s been an eventful summer. While the bushfires dominated the headlines, Sydney faced widespread flooding following its heaviest rains in three decades, while Canberra was battered by hailstones the size of golfballs. The Great Barrier Reef is reportedly on the brink of further major coral bleaching, and drought conditions persist across much of the country. Meanwhile, schoolchildren abandoned classrooms to join nationwide Climate Strike demonstrations, and police battled protesters outside a mining conference in Melbourne. New research revealed that Australian summers are now on average 31 days longer compared to half a century ago. And Shane Warne voiced concern about how rising temperatures might impact cricket. Recent opinion polls indicate that more than three-quarters of Australians are now concerned about climate change, with a strong majority wanting stronger government leadership in addressing the issue. Business attitudes are shifting too, with the the Australian Climate Roundtable - whose members include the AiGroup, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) and the Australian…

The platform is being developed alongside CSIRO and Sutton Tools, and is supported with matched funding from the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC). Successful completion of the project will allow ANCA to commercialise the new hybrid additive-manufacturing machine platform while growing its workforce and revenue while fulfilling a gap in the global tooling market, to which it already supplies Airbus, Boeing, Renishaw and Fraisa. The project builds on previous research & development (R&D) between ANCA and CSIRO through a six-month pilot program funded by the Victorian Government’s Boost Your Business voucher scheme. Together, ANCA and CSIRO have demonstrated that the tungsten-carbide tools could be made cheaper through improved production efficiencies compared to traditional tungsten products. In 2015, ANCA began exploring the potential for additive manufacturing to disrupt the tungsten cutting tool market, worth an estimated $2.2bn globally. Following significant research and the development culminating in a report with CSIRO, both parties entered a six-month pilot program. Dean McBain, ANCA’s Research and Technology Manager said: “Such a complex project and process wouldn’t be possible without…