Product News

In today's dynamic manufacturing landscape, Australian companies are seeking innovative ways to address capacity constraints without significantly increasing their workforce. Challenges such as workforce shortages, rising labour costs, and skill gaps are common pain points. A subtle yet transformative solution is emerging - a technological advancement that complements human capabilities rather than supplanting them. Orbimax Cobot Welders; a robot taught by movement and a simple smartphone app that can be realised and implemented immediately into your existing workforce, bringing instant investment gains. The Australian manufacturing sector faces an array of hurdles. Workforce scarcity, escalating labour expenses, and skill deficiencies continue to challenge operations. Moreover, maintaining precision, consistency, and productivity places a considerable burden on existing teams. These obstacles can impede the ability to scale production in response to market fluctuations. A quietly revolutionary solution is quietly gaining traction. It operates in tandem with human workers, alleviating their burden. This technology marks a pivotal shift, automating repetitive and physically taxing tasks, enabling human workers to focus on tasks necessitating creativity, problem-solving, and higher-order decision-making. This augmentation in human capacity leads…

Australian electrolyser company Hysata has officially opened its new 8,000sqm global headquarters and electrolyser manufacturing facility in Port Kembla. This marks a significant milestone in Hysata’s journey, paving the way for commercialisation of its pioneering high efficiency electrolyser. Hysata’s electrolysers are poised to transform the economics of green hydrogen production and accelerate decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, chemical manufacture and heavy transport. The Australian Government, through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), has given a vote of confidence in Hysata’s technology by announcing a $20.9m grant from its Advancing Renewables Program. This funding will support commercial demonstration of a 5MW electrolyser unit to be trialled adjacent to the Stanwell Power Station near Rockhampton, Queensland. Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Queensland Government-owned power company Stanwell Corporation will support the demonstration project with $3m, and provide the site and facilities for the field deployment of the electrolyser, which is being developed at Hysata’s new manufacturing facility. The project will create 44 new local jobs at Hysata. Hysata CEO Paul Barrett…

Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW2024) is being held at the Sydney International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour from 17-19 April 2024. Run by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), AMW2024 will occupy more than 6,560 square metres of exhibition space at the ICC, with more than 215 organisations taking stands to showcase the latest manufacturing technologies, processes, and support services. AUSTECH MACHINE TOOLS ZONE AUSTECH has been the cornerstone of AMTIL’s success for over 21 years. This iconic Machine Tools Zone now forms an integral part of AMW 2024. AUSTECH is specifically targeted at the metalworking, machine tool, and ancillary market in Australia. AUSTECH covers advanced manufacturing products and processes including: CNC Machinery, Lathes, Mills Contract Manufacturing/Precision Machining Cutting Tools, Tooling & Tool Holding Forming & Fabricating Machines Plasma, Laser, Waterjet & Ultrasonic Machines Ancillary equipment suppliers Finlease is sponsoring the AUSTECH Machine Tools Zone at AMW2024 in Sydney. Finlease sources finance for some of the country’s most innovative manufacturers. When you deal with a Finlease broker, you’re dealing with a…

Developments in the electric vehicle (EV) market are advancing at a rapid pace, with consumer uptake on the increase and the end of the road for newly manufactured ICE vehicles fast approaching. The role of dynamic braking resistors in securing the EV power systems during the electric vehicle rollout. A DBR is a vital component in the EV power chain, responsible for safeguarding the electrical system by removing excess energy from a vehicle’s braking system. This mechanism supports several applications in the EV space — regenerative braking, fuel cell power reliability and heavy goods vehicle emergency braking systems. The regeneration game In EVs, a DBR’s ability to absorb and redirect energy facilitates regenerative braking. Regenerative braking uses the excess kinetic energy to recharge an EV’s battery. It is able to do this because the electric motor in an EV can run in two directions: one, using the electrical energy, to drive the wheels and move the car, and the other, using the excess kinetic energy, to recharge the…

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…

Breaking new ground in sustainable construction, Capral has achieved yet another milestone with its Lower carbon aluminium offer, LocAl®, recognised at the 2023 Architecture and Design Sustainability Awards as the Green Building Product category winner. In an era where environmental consciousness is paramount, Capral's locally extruded, lower-carbon aluminium stands out as a testament to the company's commitment to sustainable practices and aluminium stewardship. The Sustainability Awards is Australia's longest-running and most prestigious awards program dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating sustainable design and architecture excellence. 2023 marks the 17th year of the program, with winners announced on November 9th at the annual gala event held in Sydney. Capral was recognised as the Green Building Product category winner for its market-leading Lower Carbon Aluminium offer - LocAl®. When LocAl® was introduced in November 2022, Capral had a clear objective to make locally extruded, lower-carbon Aluminium available to Australian manufacturers, architects and designers. The LocAl® offer includes two lower carbon aluminium options: LocAl® Green with carbon emissions of 8kg CO2e/kg Al* and LocAl® Super Green at 4kg CO2e/kg Al* - amongst…

Markforged has revealed its newest industrial 3D printer, the FX10 at the Formnext Conference in Germany. Continuing Markforged’s heritage of reliable printers that deliver strong, precise parts, the FX10 is designed to supercharge manufacturing line productivity and profitability. The FX10 empowers users to print the right part when and where it is needed, reducing costs and cutting lead times from months to days compared to traditional manufacturing methods. “We engineered the FX10 to be the best tool for the manufacturing floor,” said Shai Terem, CEO of Markforged. “The FX10 allows manufacturers to slash original part replacement costs when compared to traditional methods and keep production lines running without worrying about supply chain issues or spare parts inventory. The FX10 can accelerate the digitization of the manufacturing floor by increasing the adoption of digital inventory to build supply chain resiliency.  Our customers now have the potential to save even more capital by reducing physical inventory and boosting production yields while decreasing operating costs.” Designed with flexibility in mind, the printer's modular systems are engineered to be…

The RMIT University-led project – supported by the Australian Research Council, Austroads and 10 Victorian councils – will incorporate recycled plastic from consumer and industrial waste, including notoriously stubborn soft plastics, into asphalt as a performance enhancer. With Australians generating 2.6 million tonnes of plastic waste each year and landfill space expected to reach capacity by 2025, this project is helping to address an urgent challenge. Project lead, RMIT Associate Professor Filippo Giustozzi, said the team will also produce best-practice guidelines on the use of recycled plastics in asphalt roads. “These guidelines will enable local governments, which control 80% of the nation’s roads, to begin widescale adoption of this innovative recycling solution,” said Giustozzi from RMIT’s School of Engineering. The City of Melbourne and nine suburban and regional councils will lead the way, each having sections of recycled road up to 900 metres long paved over the coming months. The 10 project sites will use an estimated 21,000kg of recycled plastic, but the potential scale of this solution is considerable given the…

The new SPMT can eliminate the carbon footprint of site transport. This allows our customers to reduce the impact of large infrastructure projects on surrounding people, businesses, and infrastructure. It reduces noise…

The warehousing and manufacturing sector is undergoing significant transformation, largely driven by digitalisation and technological advancements. The process of moving materials within a warehouse or manufacturing site can drastically impact capital durability, inventory cost, worker safety, and overall operational efficiency. To remain competitive in an evolving market, organisations must make smarter, faster, and cheaper decisions, particularly when it comes to material handling. Traditionally, material handling has relied heavily on manual, time-consuming processes and rudimentary tools. However, digital transformation is reshaping industrial manufacturing, operations, and supply chain logistics like never before. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and vehicle mounts are driving material handling innovation. For example, digital twins can reduce the transition time between physical and digital worlds, speeding up reaction time and enabling quicker adjustments in operations. Similarly, vehicle mounts shorten the physical distance between the operator and technology, making it easier to execute tasks with increased efficiency. These tools not only capture and analyse data in real-time, but also decentralise the digital interface,…

This article aims to explore the challenges being faced by manufacturing organisations across industries. A societal and cultural shift away from manual, craftsmanship-based roles, coupled with the perception of health risks in manufacturing occupations has led to a significant skills shortage in the sector. Various other challenges include regulatory pressures, unstable supply chains, and unprecedented uncertainties — all of which are exacerbating the situation and threatening the competitiveness of manufacturing enterprises. However, this article posits that the solution to these escalating issues lies within the realm of digitalisation and automation technology. Our analysis is rooted in the evolution of job market trends, and the opportunities presented by innovations such as Rivelin NetShape, a frontrunner in the digital revolution of manufacturing. By harnessing machine learning, advanced sensors, and proprietary algorithms, this technology transforms skilled manual tasks for post-processing and finishing metal parts and components into repeatable, traceable digital procedures that significantly boost productivity and reduce costs. The article will go on to present a future where the burdens of manual labour can be alleviated by robotics and AI and show…

Have you ever been told to surround yourself with experts to help you grow professionally? Let the story of Peter Torreele and 3RT be a case study for you as he and his collaborators developed a technology and a complete manufacturing solution despite being told it couldn’t be done. The technology they developed enables the production of hardwood timber materials that appear and behave just like natural timber using sustainably sourced juvenile plantation raw materials and nanotechnology. As a result, they avoid the need to log old growth forests that often contain trees over 100 years old. 3RT’s timber is now squarely aimed at filling a market need with technology that can be adopted anywhere in the world. The 3RT journey started back in 2014 when Peter Torreele, now Managing Director of 3RT, identified a growing demand for timber building materials while native forest logging was increasingly being banned. This was also being driven by a need for an alternative to high energy-intensive materials such as metals and concrete to reduce carbon emissions. While hardwoods are very desirable, the…

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…