Technology News

The Royal Adelaide Hospital’s (RAH) fleet of 25 Automated Guidance Vehicles (AGVs) are responsible for distributing food, linen, waste, pharmaceuticals and stores, 24/7 365 days. The AGV system controls 14 dedicated lifts and services 31 lobbies over 9 floors, including 44 CSSD operating suites. The hospital aisles are shared with staff and other traffic therefore the on-board safety sensors allow the vehicles to avoid personal injury and damage to the payload, surrounding items and infrastructure. The new flexible AGV control system offers many benefits, such as lower operating costs, reduced transport damage and consistent delivery times. Customer requirements A hardware life cycle upgrade was required for the client’s existing fleet of 25 AGVs, located at the RAH. The existing AGV Control System also had limited support from the previous supplier. Technology had taken a significant step forward to a more modern, Window based, smart and easy-to-edit control software system. RA Health provided project consultancy from initial concept, through to design, implementation, and closure stages. MAXAGV confirmed the existing…

Industries such as mining, shipbuilding, and power generation have particular requirements for extremely large nut and bolt fasteners. These pose huge difficulties with applying specified bolt tensions because, for example, a nut weighing thirty kilograms is not going to be tightened with hand tools. These are installed or removed with sledgehammers, stud heaters, or torque wrenches, which might weigh as much as the person using them. Installation of such large fasteners is extremely time-consuming, can be hazardous to workers, and frequently may not result in even tightening of every fastener to the precise tension required for long and safe joint life. Disassembly for maintenance can be equally slow, hazardous, and damaging to equipment and production schedules. A proven best-practice solution is the use of the Technofast EziTite® family of hydraulic fasteners, which are proven in service to tension large bolts. Assembly and removal times are some 15-20 times faster than conventional means, while also cutting downtime and enhancing safety and joint precision. The fasteners are so efficient and swift in operation – including operating in hazardous, hot, underground, and confined spaces –…

Bonfiglioli’s Calderara di Reno EVO plant (situated near Bologna, Italy) has been awarded ISO 50001:2018 certification for its Energy Management System. Martin Broglia, MD, Bonfiglioli Australia and New Zealand believes that this is good news for customers on local shores too. “It demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainability,” he said, “which is also evidenced in our innovative approach to the development of energy-efficient products and solutions for the wind, solar and recycling sectors.” A blueprint for energy management This ISO 50001 standard serves as a blueprint for the creation, implementation and maintenance of Energy Management Systems through the use of new technologies, waste reduction and process optimisation. “Once in place, the system enables more efficient energy use at a plant level,” explained Martin. In line with the existing ISO certification, the Bonfiglioli factories have achieved quality, environmental and occupational health and safety standards. “Bonfiglioli has long prioritised environmental responsibility and is taking practical steps to mitigate the impact of the company’s energy consumption,” he added. Pointing to reports that global energy consumption has more than doubled over the past 40 years, and is…

Great Wrap, a Melbourne-based material science company, launches the world's first Compostable Pallet Wrap, made with food waste, to combat the global reliance on petroleum-based pallet wrap and plastic pollution. The Tullamarine facility is home to what will soon be the largest stretch wrap manufacturer in the country. Great Wrap’s 10,000sqm facility in Tullamarine is home to state-of-the-art machinery that will make 5,000 tonnes of compostable stretch wrap in 2023 and 20,000 tonnes by 2025 — which will make them Australia’s largest stretch wrap manufacturer and significantly decreasing the need to import stretch wrap from other parts of the world. In this country alone, we send over 100,000 tonnes of stretch wrap to landfill each year, including cling wrap, catering wrap, silage wrap and pallet wrap. Pallet wrap, the connector of all businesses, is a critical part of the global supply chain. Every day millions of pallets are wrapped to transport goods to their eventual consumer. Unfortunately, very few facilities can recycle petroleum-based pallet wrap — meaning more than 90% goes to landfill. Great Wrap is home…

In today's increasingly globalised world, the strength and resilience of a nation depends on its ability to nurture and grow strategic industries. As demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, countries that can rely on domestic manufacturing capabilities are better positioned to withstand external shocks and rely on a resilient supply chain. For Australia, investing in advanced manufacturing, and the new technologies that bolster the sector is essential not only for economic growth but also for fostering sovereign resilience. At ANCA we define technological progress, or what some call innovation, as achieving more output with less input. More productivity in manufacturing means our customers have more output with fewer dollars invested, more output with less human workforce required, and less energy consumed. And that means Australia can have a competitive manufacturing sector for the domestic and export market. Checklist of action ANCA is calling on governments - at all levels, and of all persuasions - to move their focus to crafting consistent policies to ensure manufacturing capability stays onshore and local businesses can thrive. The…

Deakin University’s expanded $20m ManuFutures hub in Geelong has been officially opened by Victoria’s Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty Ben Carroll. The hub has doubled in size and will boost regional manufacturing capabilities through the addition of new manufacturing incubator programs, training, and product engineering services, providing opportunities for an increased number of innovation-focused tenants and start-ups. Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin said that the completion of ManuFutures laid strong foundations for building sovereign manufacturing capability in Victoria. “First established in 2018, ManuFutures showcases Deakin’s commitment to building Australia’s advanced manufacturing capabilities and creating a skilled local manufacturing workforce for the future,” Professor Martin said. Deakin Research Innovations Regional Manufacturing Director Mark Curnow said the completion of the ManuFutures expansion put Deakin at the forefront of manufacturing innovation for entrepreneurs, start-ups and existing businesses. “Our new ManuFutures building includes collaborative working spaces and further rental tenancy bays for manufacturing businesses. It also has an Innoveering Centre that boasts product engineering and development capability, as well as opportunities for research collaboration and integration. “Four manufacturing businesses have already moved into the new spaces as tenants, with room for…

Unmanned vehicles are in something of a renaissance. UAVs have been patrolling the skies of militarily sensitive regions for more than a decade, and regulatory frameworks – to say nothing of the technology – are being hashed out between governments and manufacturers of autonomous road vehicles as we speak, including in Australia. Self-driving fleets of transport and public services vehicles have been mooted in the name of safety and efficiency, and unmanned mining and agriculture vehicles are already in use. One area we don't hear much about however is in unmanned sailing. After an estimated 11 billion tons of goods were shipped by sea in 2021 alone, it's an area you'd think was ripe for development, especially as the ocean is still so little understood when it comes to its influence on global climates and ecosystems. Saildrone is aiming to change that. The Alameda, California-based company builds, designs and operates uncrewed/unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for a range of applications in scientific and commercial activities, sailing into the…

Some of the most common challenges faced in the Australian manufacturing sector are a lack of real-time visibility into operations, bottlenecks in production, inefficient maintenance procedures, and high operation costs. The cost of information flow remains too high which negatively impacts the competitive edge, yet most manufacturers often struggle with justifying the ROI of having a cohesive Digital Transformation strategy. The piecemeal approach to Industry 4.0 may result in an organisation focusing on non-urgent projects, investing in gear that further adds to the cost of information flow due to the missing alignment and a common strategy. Why is it important to have a Digital Transformation strategy, that is much more than a siloed Industry 4.0 project? Much has been written and discussed about Digital Transformation. The term has been dissected and interpreted in many ways. This ubiquitous term is more than a mere adoption of digital tools and technologies; it signifies a revolution that recalibrates business operations and heightens customer value. The digital revolution moves beyond the shop floor, permeating all business aspects, including supply chain management and customer service.…

A pioneering group of Canberra chemical engineers is putting a hefty round of funding into the recycling science of tomorrow, and it might spell the end of one of our biggest environmental headaches. We know about microplastics in the oceans. We've given up plastic shopping bags and drinking straws and we separate rubbish and recycling every week when we put the bins out. Would it surprise you to learn it's not nearly enough? It might be time not just for doing more of what we're already doing but a new approach altogether. There are 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste in the world, and only about 10% of the plastic we discard is recyclable simply because of its chemical properties. There's simply no way to recycle polymer plastics in textiles, for instance, and Professor Colin Jackson (who we'll hear more from later) calls the amount of textile waste 'massive'. "Clear plastic bottles. We can recycle them pretty well but that's about it," he adds. Even among the material we can recycle, we seldom get more…

Red Range Stock Supplements manufacture quality animal feeds across the top of Western Australia, throughout the Northern Territory and into Queensland, manufacturing nutritional and high-quality supplements for livestock.  They worked with ABB Channel Partner Current Engineering Solutions and contractor Agtric Pty Ltd to select fifteen of ABB’s ACS580 variable speed drives to optimise control of their operations, which has enabled significant energy savings as a result.  Red Range has already observed energy savings in the amount of over 230,250kWH, and 180 tonnes of saved C02 since 2020, following the installation of the ABB drives in their operations for various onsite applications as compared to energy use of DOL drives.  Red Range Stock Supplements is a locally owned family-run business located in Kununurra, Western Australia with clients all over Australia’s North-West. Red Range manufactures animal stock feed using imported domestic and local produce while offering a range of customer blend supplements for cattle tailored for their individual dietary requirements.  Their manufacturing operations consist of a combination of conveyors, augurs, crushers, mixers, pumps, and fan-related applications. Due to the nature…

The ‘Australia’s Generative AI Opportunity’ report is a collaboration between Microsoft and the Tech Council of Australia. It’s contents says Australia’s manufacturing sector could unlock billions of dollars in value by 2030 if it accelerates the responsible adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GAI). The report shows that GAI could contribute between $45bn and $115bn a year to Australia’s economy by 2030 through two major channels: improving existing industries and enabling the creation of new products and services. Manufacturing has been identified as one of the four key sectors of the Australian economy poised to benefit from GAI. The report demonstrates that the technology could contribute between $2bn and $5bn annually to the manufacturing sector by 2030. TCA’s CEO says the report underscores the enormous economic potential of GAI for the manufacturing sector. However, Kate Pounder warned that the sector risks falling behind other industries in the adoption of this technology if it fails to accelerate its digital transformation. “Generative AI has the potential to redefine the industry, playing to Australia’s strengths of producing high-quality and highly technical products. But the sector needs…

Since then, advanced, third-generation laser technology has led the expansion of cutting processes for a wide range of materials such as sheet metal, wood, plastic, glass, ceramics, textiles, semiconductors and paper. With the recent development of high-power, fibre laser cutting machines, processers are able to reduce costs through faster cutting times and reduced gas usage. This greatly improved cutting process has replaced traditional cutting methods, particularly in the sheet metal industry. One of the thermal cutting methods, used in the laser cutting industry is a focused, high power, and high-density laser beam to irradiate the workpiece so that the material at the irradiated place will melt, vaporise or blow away. The main factors affecting the metal laser cutting thickness and cutting efficiency are the power of the laser cutting machine, the type of auxiliary gas, the pressure, and the flow rate of the auxiliary gas. Laser-cutting machines now require high-energy lasers and auxiliary gases to complete the cutting process. The most common auxiliary gases used for laser cutting are oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and compressed air. Compressed air is easier to obtain and…

Monash University startup ElectraLith is building an extraction system to filter Lithium from brine using a polymer-ceramic composite membrane, allowing the critical mineral to be extracted from salt lakes, mine tailings, and other brine solutions using small amounts of solar-generated electricity without added chemicals or water. Harnessing the power of cutting-edge electro-filtration membrane technology, ElectraLith seeks to usher in a new era of lithium extraction, propelling the battery market into a cleaner, cheaper, and faster future. At the forefront of this groundbreaking technology is Professor Huanting Wang. An Australian Laureate Fellow and the Director of the ARC Research Hub for Energy-efficient Separation at Monash University's Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. His pioneering work in nanostructure membranes has paved the way for ElectraLith's game-changing technology. “Current lithium extraction methods involve either roasting hard rock at high temperature and dissolving it with hot sulfuric acid or evaporating brines in a solar pond, both of which use chemicals to precipitate lithium out. It is time-consuming, disruptive, expensive, and wasteful. My research in nanostructure membranes is all about efficiency and ingenuity to make the most…