Product News

Imagine all the things you could do with an accurate digital representation of your body. Bodd has, and the Melbourne-based company is putting it into practice. It starts with a body-scanning turntable device, which creates a complete set of measurement data via a very user-friendly, non-intrusive process. The subject simply steps onto the scanner's rotating platform, accesses the controls through a touch screen, stands with feet slightly apart and hands slightly away from the sides and rotates slowly for about a minute. Various optical lenses and data capture hardware devices then capture a broad and constantly expanding suite of possible anatomical detail. Bodd is pursuing a range of applications and markets from the worlds of clothing and customised wearable garments, through to health-related information. In the uniform retailing sector, Bodd’s technology is disruptive to existing business models and is a lead field of application. The possibility of eliminating waste in the retail fashion and…

Crushers, conveyors, belt sweepers, and vibratory equipment are areas where air springs are used in challenging applications where reliability and resistance to grime are critical. The same highly robust air springs go into the suspensions of big trucks working on the same mining, quarrying, materials handling, ports, and energy sites. A company that has spent more than 40 years building up its national network to supply air springs used to process and transport goods is now helping the industry avoid the need to expensively import urgently needed components as they wear out and need replacement. Air Springs Supply P/L supplies global quality brands of air spring actuators, isolators, and air suspension components including Firestone Airride™ airbags used as OEM equipment by major truck manufacturers, as well as original and crossover replacement actuators and isolators for conveying and processing equipment. The company - which is Australia’s leading supplier of air springs for heavy transport and industrial use – has worked hand-in-hand with the industry over the past two years to help ensure supply in…

The University of Adelaide’s industry partner PhosEnergy has received a grant under the Federal Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) Grants scheme to work with the University on the development of next-generation nuclear batteries. The University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Anton Middelberg said: “This latest funding will help University of Adelaide experts to work with our industry partner PhosEnergy on research that will directly improve the capability of the defence and space sectors. “This funding will help our defence forces have access to cutting-edge technology that will help to ensure the safety of our nation and that of our trusted allies. “A long-life, reliable, maintenance and fuel-free power system for low-Earth orbit, lunar and deep-space applications is critical for enabling the next phases of space exploration.” “The burgeoning space industry and increasingly sophisticated remote defence sites where power-hungry technology is located are creating enormous demand for long-life, fuel-free power sources,” said Bryn Jones the Managing Director of PhosEnergy. A grant of $2,427,689 will be used to further develop PhosEnergy’s long-life, reliable, maintenance and fuel-free nuclear battery technology for space and defence industries…

Lockdown has been tough for everyone, but the people at Integra Systems recognise they have been luckier than many due to the continuity of their work. For those in the local community who haven’t been so lucky and may have lost their income and/or sense of purpose, Integra found a way to help them through these difficult times: an at-home program for assembling toolholder kits. The program idea came from their Director of Innovation, Russell Hughes, who adapted it from a traditional German cottage industry model used by the cuckoo clock trade. In the Black Forest region of Germany, the villagers would get snowed in during the winter, so, to combat this issue, families focused on specific parts of cuckoo clock production, such as woodcarving, so they could generate an income during their isolation across the colder months. The Integra at-home program works in a similar way to these cuckoo clock creators in Germany. “We create kits at our facility in Melbourne’s North and then send these kits out to members of the community,” explains Hughes. “These are families, students without work, single people,…

Delivering a high-quality product in an efficient, safe way is key to the success of Australia’s leading aluminium boat and trailer manufacturer, Telwater. The iconic boat building company opened its doors on the Gold Coast in 1988 and has become synonymous with its innovative designs, advanced technology, and range of aluminium boat models. Telwater designs and manufactures four of Australia’s leading aluminium boat brands including Quintrex, Stacer, Savage and Yellowfin Plate. The team consists of expert welders and painters, research and development technicians and many other trades, all committed to the highest quality workmanship. To maintain its reputation as a leading manufacturer, Telwater invests in new solutions to improve efficiency, safety and reliability across its substantial manufacturing operations. Manufacturing multiple boats per day, often to tight deadlines, the team at Telwater relies heavily on welding equipment and gases to deliver high-quality aluminium welds. “If we don’t have a good end-product, there are lots of warranty claims which can be extremely time-consuming for our customers and employees. That is why we continually invest in the latest welding equipment and processes,” said Robert…

Australian clean energy company MGA Thermal has reached a milestone with customer interest for 20GWh of energy storage, the equivalent of powering 1.3m homes, from customers for its breakthrough technology. The company also unveiled the first stage of its new commercial manufacturing facility in Newcastle, Australia to meet that demand amid the growing and urgent need for new energy storage to replace aging or increasingly expensive thermal and other conventional power stations. As national grids make the transition to renewable energy, BloombergNEF predicts an average of 245GWh of new long-term energy storage — including batteries, hydrogen and other storage technologies — is required every year globally to meet 2030 net-zero targets. MGA Thermal’s unique blocks, which store renewable power as thermal energy for later use, will contribute to that growing need, with the current customer pipeline of 20GWh enough to meet 8% of annual estimates. MGA Thermal is gearing up for commercial scale, with the first stage of its manufacturing facility and research & development lab in Newcastle, Australia. The new equipment…

Veolia Water Technologies, a subsidiary of the Veolia group and leading specialist in water treatment, announces the Asia Pacific launch of the Barrel, an integrated plug-and-play reverse osmosis (RO) technology. With increasing demand and rising concerns over scarcity of fresh water in the Asia-Pacific region, the Barrel meets the challenges and expectations of the desalination market while producing fresh water complying with all water quality standards. It is also suitable for wastewater reuse and low-pressure RO applications. The Barrel was selected as a key technology for the first experiment in Europe in wastewater treatment for the supply of drinking water through the Jourdain programme, in France’s Vendee region. The technology has also been in use at the Oman Sur desalination plant since 2019. The Barrel is a multi RO element vessel that is designed to be a plug-and-play system. The carbon steel pressure vessel is manufactured and tested off-site, and is delivered as a single unit, so installation on-site can be fast-tracked and project schedules shortened. In addition, the modular design of the Barrel makes it highly scalable,…

Kaeser Compressors has been on hand for over two decades now, ensuring their team of highly trained refinishing, repair and painting experts have access to a reliable and efficient supply of quality compressed air on demand. When it comes to repairing prestige vehicles, Charlie Battisti & Co. has over 30 years of experience under its belt. Melbourne’s finest smash repairers, Charlie Battisti is one of only a handful of body shops Australia-wide, that is a Porsche Certified Collision Centre, an Accredited BMW Body Shop and Mercedes Benz dealer recommended. Accident repairs, detailing and windscreen replacement are just a few of the services Charlie Battisti offers to its customers. However, regardless of the job at hand the focus is always the same - to ensure that the customer is 100% satisfied with all repairs undertaken and to maintain the vehicle's original build quality, strength and integrity. To meet these goals Charlie Battisti invested some years ago in a state-of-the-art and purpose-built vehicle…

The evolution of this proudly Australian machine building powerhouse was further accelerated by the acquisition of two companies in just two years. “We’re growing our end-to-end production line offering,” explains Mark Emmett, owner and CEO of HMPS Group and Propac Industrial. The acquisition of two reputable companies - Vertical Form Fill Seal machine producers, Propac Industrial and manufacturer of stretch wrapping machines, equipment and systems, Integrated Machinery, have helped expand HMPS’ offering. The evolution of the company is underpinned by its passion for problem solving and adapting to meet customers’ ever-changing needs. “As our customers grow so do their requirements. We are here to meet these requirements - all along the packaging line,” says Emmett. To further entrench its service capabilities, HMPS has also expanded its footprint through these acquisitions, as Emmett explains: “In addition to our Adelaide head office, we now also have manufacturing and service capabilities in Melbourne and Sydney with a technical office in Brisbane.” Growth in a Time of Uncertainty HMPS saw the COVID-19 pandemic as a time for opportunity, and their bold…

Okuma Australia has been expanding its service and technical support for its current and ever-growing list of Queensland customers in line with the Okuma business Monozukuri philosophy – ‘the art of making things better’. With modern new Queensland premises in Hamilton and a growing team of four engineers and technical support personnel, each with a passion for Australian manufacturing, Okuma Australia is well placed and committed to advance its strong market position in Queensland. Northern Regional Manager for NSW & Queensland, Sydney based Steve Norbis, has more than 30 years in the industry. Steve leads a team of eleven in New South Wales and Queensland and his passion for the industry filters down through the entire team. “We currently have a broad range of advanced technology machine orders in hand and a growing level of enquiries in the pipeline,” said Steve Norbis. “The new team appointments and expanding branch structure will ensure that Okuma’s solid presence in the Queensland market is maintained and supported thus enabling our Queensland team to maintain the level of service our customers currently enjoy and have…

VALO, which is targeting domestic and international markets in premium stadium lighting, will use Kent Town to ramp up production, bringing its manufacturing back onshore and centralising operations in its new, carbon-neutral facility. Founder and CEO Aaron Hickmann said VALO had grown its local staff from four to 15 over the past 12 months and was rapidly growing. The company has invested heavily in research and development, plant and equipment – including surface mount technology and an assembly line, VALO is ready to manufacture its most advanced lighting systems in Adelaide. “Having production move back onshore will allow us to increase employment in South Australia and provide economic benefits for the state in an emerging advanced manufacturing industry,” Hickmann said. “VALO is future focused and we’re constantly researching and developing smart lighting products which will improve sustainability, reduce carbon footprints and provide significant benefits to wide-ranging communities,” he added. “We’re accelerating the use of disruptive technologies, not just in premium sport stadium lighting, but also in street lighting, and producing cutting-edge,…

In the midst of a pandemic in 2020, the pursuit of continuous improvement and growth didn’t stop for the Aerostructures team at RUAG Australia, with decisive action taken to upgrade manufacturing machinery at its hydraulic centre of excellence in Bayswater, Victoria. RUAG Australia are dedicated to maintaining the quality of all equipment and machinery to continue providing high quality service to customers. The fully integrated automated shot-peen system is one of the largest of its kind used in Australia for Defence and Aerospace applications. The system uses blast media whereby small steel beads impact the target surface to create a compressive stress layer on the surface, leading to improved durability and structural integrity, so the substrate is better able to withstand failure. The typical components to be manufactured using the shot peen machine include air frame components, hydraulic landing gear actuators, undercarriage components and structural components for military aircraft. The RUAG Australia engineering team approached international experts in surface finishing and blasting technology, Rösler International (Rösler) to upgrade their shot peen machine. Rösler worked closely with…

Plasma beamlines, profile cutting machines, robotic welding systems, Eagle Lasers: at Kraftech they do it all. Their automation technology experts have the experience and expertise to tackle even the most challenging automation applications. They can tailor their equipment specifically to customer’s requests yet keeping it standardised for versatility. Kraftech want to create the most effective solutions so that their customers can maximise their productivity. Kraftech offers full support and training for all systems to make sure that customers are not only up and running fast but utilising the equipment to its potential. All Kraftech’s equipment is backed by in-house servicing and supply of cutting consumables and spare parts. The X-calibre robotic plasma coping robot provides you with a single machine that can process all your structural steel profiles. It can process up to 1200 I-beams, 200×200 angle, 380PFC, 400 SHS, with a piercing capacity up to 60mm. The robot cutting path is generated by a specialised offline programming and nesting software that accepts 3D models in DSTV-NC or Step formats to minimise…