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Registrations are now open for Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW2024), held at the Sydney ICC in Darling Harbour. Run by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), AMW2024 will occupy more than 6,560 square metres of exhibition space at the Sydney ICC at Darling Harbour. More than 220 organisations have already taken stands to showcase the latest manufacturing technologies, processes, and support services. Don’t miss out!   Register NOW!   There are seven Zones on the vast floorspace of Australian Manufacturing Week, which takes up almost of the Sydney ICC. Each Zone focuses on particular aspects of manufacturing in Australia. These include: Austech Machine Tools, sponsored by finlease; Additive Manufacturing Zone; Australian Manufacturers Zone; Manufacturing Solutions Zone, sponsored by The Execution Factor; Robotics & Automation Zone, sponsored by IFS; Weld and Air Solutions Zone; and the Plastic Technology Zone. PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY ZONE The Plastics Technology Zone @ AMW2024 will be showcasing the most advanced technologies within this sector. The various techniques within Plastics Technology include:…

One of the world’s most recognised and innovative materials scientists and an engineer and inventor has been announced as this year’s City of Parramatta Australia Day Ambassador. 2022 NSW Australian of the Year and UNSW Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla, is a highly awarded researcher at the forefront of recycling science, who launched the world’s first e-waste microfactory. The professor’s work has led to the development of green ceramic tiles and green steel, made from recycled glass, textiles and steel. Professor Sahajwalla has been invited to address the City of Parramatta’s Citizen of the Year awards on 25 January and as a guest on 26 January. She said she’s excited to visit Parramatta and celebrate with locals. “It’s such an honour to be an Australia Day Ambassador for Parramatta,” Professor Sahajwalla said. “It’s also a privilege to share my story around science and engineering and how our UNSW SMaRT Centre MICROfactorieTM Technologies are helping to tackle our waste and recycling challenges.” Already the City has benefitted from these revolutionary green materials, with Mirvac’s Pavilions apartment building in Sydney Olympic Park leading the pack…

Run by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), and with the NSW Government as Major Sponsor, AMW2024 will occupy more than 6,560 square metres of exhibition space at the Sydney ICC at Darling Harbour, with more than 215 organisations taking stands to showcase the latest manufacturing technologies, processes, and support services. Don’t miss out! REGISTER NOW:   There will be seven Zones on the show floor of Australian Manufacturing Week, each with its own distinct specialisations. These include: Austech Machine Tools, sponsored by finlease; Additive Manufacturing Zone; Australian Manufacturers Pavilion; Manufacturing Solutions Zone, sponsored by The Execution Factor; Robotics & Automation Zone; Weld and Air Solutions Zone; and the Plastic Technology Zone.   AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURERS PAVILION The Australian Manufacturers Pavilion showcases the capabilities of Australia’s precision engineering and advanced manufacturing industry. The Australian Manufacturers Pavilion is one of seven focussed Zones on the floor of AMW2024. The Australian Manufacturers Pavilion is where AMW2024 celebrates the very best in Australian manufacturing, providing a showcase for some of this country’s…

AMT: As the Queensland Minister for Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water, that is a lot of portfolio space to get your head around first off Minister.  Promise I’ll stay within the walls of manufacturing. Do you find a bit of ‘crossover’? GB: Definitely - there is lots of crossover and that’s what I want to see. I want to see local manufacturers benefitting from our significant investment in critical infrastructure like water projects, so that benefits to Queensland businesses are seen all the way down the supply chain. A significant amount of our infrastructure investment occurs outside Southeast Queensland given the decentralised nature of the state. And this is set to continue - as an example, 95% of our $62bn Energy and Jobs Plan will be invested outside SEQ. That’s why we have a plan and why we keep investing in our grants and support programs so that our local…

Welding has long been the go-to method for repairs and restoration of metal parts. Although it’s a well-established and great method for joining metals, when it comes to repair, welding may not always be the most suitable solution. Unfortunately, with limited alternatives available, it has often been the common or default choice. However, a new technology is now emerging that promises to revolutionise the repair process and offer a more versatile and efficient solution: low-pressure cold spray technology. Cold spray – also known as supersonic particle deposition - is a groundbreaking technology for repairing geometries and applying functional coatings. Unlike welding, which involves high temperatures and can result in distortion, residual stress, and damage to surrounding materials, cold spray operates without the need for extreme heat. Instead, it propels metal particles at supersonic speeds onto metal surfaces. As they collide, the kinetic energy of the particles causes them to deform and interlock with the metal surface, creating a strong, metallurgically bonded coating.  When it comes to repair and maintenance, the advantages of low-pressure cold spray over conventional welding…

Australia’s premier manufacturing technology trade show, AMW Sydney 2024, is promising to be a dynamic and innovative event that brings together professionals, companies and experts from many industries related to manufacturing, engineering and technology. It is AMTIL’s aim for Australian Manufacturing Week to be more than just an exhibition. This is the centrepiece of a week-long celebration of manufacturing in Australia today. “On the back of the overwhelming success of AMW 2022 in Sydney, we have returned to the ICC at Darling Harbour for April 2024 and are excited to be delivering another strong show,” said Shane Infanti CEO of AMTIL, organisers of Australian Manufacturing Week. “We are very pleased to have the support of the NSW Government as the Major Sponsor for AMW. Government support is important in delivering the message to our industry that manufacturing is important and that the support mechanisms are there to assist.” Australian Manufacturing Week will take place at the International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney. The stats from our Melbourne show at the MCEC showed conclusively the appetite for…

International logistics and shipping leader Maersk is strengthening its omnichannel-fulfilment capabilities in Australia, with the opening of seven new facilities across the country. As the integrated container and logistics company celebrates its 30th anniversary in Australia, plans are in place to grow its already extensive operations and land-side capabilities.   The seven new facilities are being delivered over the 12 months to Q1 2024 as part of Maersk’s global integrator strategy with clear opportunities identified to expand the regional logistics landscape. This will bring the company’s total number of sites in Australia to eight in total, serviced by 550 full-time employees. Four sites opened earlier this year and three more are coming online between now and Q1 2024. Two of these facilities were integrated into the Maersk network as part of its acquisition of LF Logistics.  Maersk invited AMT magazine to the new Derrimut warehouse in Melbourne to meet with staff and view the complex matrix system on the occasion of the company's 30th anniversary in Australia. The huge network space was rolling with robots, pickers,…

Australia’s premier manufacturing technology trade show, AMW2024 is promising to be a dynamic and innovative event in Sydney that brings together professionals, companies and experts from many industries related to manufacturing, engineering and technology. It is AMTIL’s aim for Australian Manufacturing Week to be more than just an exhibition. This is the centrepiece of a week-long celebration of manufacturing in Australia today. “On the back of the overwhelming success of AMW2022 in Sydney, we have returned to the ICC at Darling Harbour for April 2024 and are excited to be delivering another strong show,” said Shane Infanti CEO of AMTIL, organisers of Australian Manufacturing Week. “We are very pleased to have the support of the NSW Government as the Major Sponsor for AMW. Government support is important in delivering the message to our industry that manufacturing is important and that the support mechanisms are there to assist.” Australian Manufacturing Week will take place at the International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney. The stats from our Melbourne show at the MCEC showed conclusively the appetite for large-scale manufacturing exhibitions is healthy for…

Recently the Australian engineering business has turned this skill inward, investing in not just one, but two Agile Flex 35D robotic loading systems for CNC machine tools. The two Agile Flex 35D systems at MASPRO are 4-drawer models with the top pallet option, both tending DMG NLX 2500/700 dual spindle turning centers. One of the systems was installed at MASPRO’s Condobolin manufacturing facility and the other at their Wetherill Park facility, in New South Wales, Australia. The Agile Flex 35D systems are being used in the manufacture of hydraulic cylinder pistons but will ultimately handle a wide variety of machined parts for the mining equipment sector. The Agile Flex 35D robotic loading systems have allowed MASPRO’s machinists to focus on more complex roles such as programming rather than the time-consuming and difficult manual loading and unloading of parts. Removing the need for manual handling has also eliminated the risk of repetitive stress injury. Established in Condobolin in 2006, MASPRO is a family-owned and operated mining technology business with a history spanning…

AMTIL had a stand in the International Association pavilion alongside 26 other national associations from around the world, forming an excellent network of global machine tool and manufacturing technology bodies. One of our activities each year is a half day ‘General Managers’ meeting where all countries discuss a particular topic given to us. This year the subject was – Impact of New and Enabling Technologies. Below is a summary of these discussions. The conversation went from traditional manufacturing to new and finally emerging technologies. We live in a world of acronyms so I will explain some of them for the uneducated! Traditional manufacturing covered off CNC machining, robotics and automation, controls, lean manufacturing, six sigma, lights out machining, etc, etc. The focus was on fast spindle speeds, quick changeover time, high productivity and sustainability. I won’t delve too deeply into this area as the majority of our readers are in this space and know it better…

Researchers at The University of Queensland are harnessing the latest sequencing technology developed by UK-based biotech Oxford Nanopore Technologies to analyse mRNA vaccines and therapies. This approach promises to simplify and better ensure the quality of manufactured mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics worldwide. The BASE team at UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) is already recognised as the biggest supplier of research-use mRNA in Australia, having built more than 200 mRNA vaccines and therapies for academic, clinical and industry use. Building upon this work, under the new research partnership with Oxford Nanopore, BASE researchers will use the latest and improved nanopore-based sequencing technology to optimise performance and reduce the time needed to measure mRNA vaccine quality attributes. “Currently, mRNA vaccines and therapies are analysed using a range of different methods that are time-consuming, complicated, and costly, and often outdated,” said BASE mRNA technologies researcher Dr. Helen Gunter. BASE researchers showed how nanopore sequencing can analyse the quality of mRNA vaccines and therapies, in a study published today in Nature Communications. “By using Oxford…

Tasmanian manufacturer Sea Forest is ready to take the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of cars off the road and help the red meat industry meet its net zero goals through support from the AMGC and a unique Australian species of seaweed. The seaweed asparagopsis armata has been known to have giant methane-busting potential when added in tiny quantities as a supplement for ruminant animals. Thanks to a collaborative project led by Sea Forest and aided by $675,000 in co-investment from AMGC, the company now boasts a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at its Triabunna headquarters. “This is a great Australian idea that has now been turned into a successful commercial business via manufacturing. Through the commercialisation process, Sea Forest has developed a local product with global potential, while generating jobs and supporting global moves to reduce emissions,” said Dr. Jens Goennemann, Managing Director, AMGC. The $3.2m project took just over 18 months to complete and has created nine full-time roles and upskilled a further eight staff at Sea Forest, which has been growing seaweed at Triabunna, Tasmania since 2019. Over the coming…

These grants will help Australian manufacturers work together on nine large projects worth $1.87bn. Successful businesses receive funding for up to a third of their project costs. Successful projects include establishing an Australian vanadium battery industry, building a facility to turn landfill waste into energy, and making Australia a regional hub for cancer drugs and health analytics. These projects will help build Australia’s manufacturing sector and supply chains. Eight grant proposals were originally approved for funding under this stream. These aren’t proceeding because they no longer meet the conditions of the program. The Collaboration stream is the largest grant program under the $1.3bn Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI). Grants between $20m and $200m and up to one-third of eligible project costs, are awarded to large projects that feature or will create an environment that fosters collaboration. Successful projects will help transform the manufacturing industry by increasing collaboration and building economies of scale in the six National Manufacturing Priority areas. The following projects are announced: Gilmour Space Technologies will receive a grant worth over $51.4m; SAAB Australia…