Technology News

The Repco Supercars Championship began its 2023 season with the Newcastle 500 in early March, after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic. Supercars is the premier touring car motorsport series in Australia and includes the famous Bathurst 1000 held in early October. Dick Johnson Racing, racing under the Shell V-Power Racing Team name, was founded by Dick Johnson in 1980 and is Australia's oldest motor racing team competing in the Supercars Championship. Over the years, the team's drivers have won ten Australian Touring Car Championship titles and have taken four victories in the Bathurst 1000. Behind the drivers and their success are not only the dedicated members within Dick Johnson Racing, but external partner businesses working closely with them. One such partner Is Ian Whitwood, from IDW CAD/CAM Solutions who, since 2009, has supported Dick Johnson Racing with TopSolid design and machining software. In that time, the team has won four drivers championships and three team championships. Ian and TopSolid have been an integral part of that winning/high-performance culture. Back in 2009, the team bucked the trend of…

By the time Friday was half over, the large crews running the 348 exhibitor stands were still talking, selling, showing off, and demonstrating their wares to the crowds, and plenty more visitors were still streaming in through the doors. By the closing time of 4 pm on Friday, there had been an unprecedented 15,914 visitors to the AMW2023 show. Far more than anyone had anticipated. What an incredible number. AMTIL would also like to thank the many visitors to the show.  All 15,914 of you over the week.  The effort made to take time off work, to come down to the venue, and to experience the best of manufacturing is also a mammoth feat not lost on us. The show doesn’t really stop, in fact by midday Sunday, while most of the largest machines had been moved from the floor, onto trucks, and back out into the world, Shane Infanti and the crew were still working to make sure it was a successful bump out. “We’re all so overwhelmed with the fantastic response to AMW 2023, Australia’s biggest premier manufacturing…

The Future Solutions Speaker Sessions have been such a success here at AMW2023, really. Every seat in each session has been filled. On Tuesday the theme was Additive Manufacturing. Wednesday focused on Women in Manufacturing, then yesterday was Australian Manufacturing. Today we looked into the Future of manufacturing here in Australia. Of particular interest, and one following up for further information was the Breakthrough Victoria, Jason Coonan, the Director – Advanced Manufacturing, who summarised current trends relevant to investment in nanomanufacturing, quantum, and other ground-breaking areas. And still, each zone and pavilion around the halls roared with activity. All the way down to Peddinghaus with their massive rotating, welding carriage for long product steel girders, one of the largest on the planet, brought in from the USA for the show; to the nano-projects undertaken by the small crew at Microscopy, the attractions were enthralling, sometimes randomly scattered. Maybe that’s why it takes people so long to get around this huge space. Another positive for the last day of an industrial show of this size is that so many of these massive machines have…

Day Three of AMW2023 showcases a range of manufacturing successes and advances happening here at home, some of these exporting out into the world market. Today, the show floor is pumping, chock-full of immense displays of machine tooling outfits, CNC cutting tools, and grinders. From where I stand, I see sales managers, CEOs, and business managers meeting as many people as possible. What an incredible, active industry. Some of the bigger companies from Europe are now making their moves to establish Australian headquarters. They have the confidence of a big market here. Schunk, Trumpf, Bonfiglioli and Trotec, ASA, SWI Engineering, and others, are all-powerful suppliers of many international tool brands. This year, AMW has a lot of enticing displays with extra focus. The SAVIC electric motorcycle is here.  The Applied EV Blanc robot vehicle is also here, which makes me happy.  Altair Software and Applied EV got together and made this entirely new sector of transport a future possibility. The Future Solutions Speaker program, proudly supported by Autodesk, spans the wide brown land of Australian Manufacturing. David…

The crowds in the AMW2023 halls were very impressed as soon as they walked in on the first day. A straw poll was taken of what they were thinking, and one yelled, "We're back baby!" I think he may have had some skin in the game. There are some very large stands showing off some incredible technology. This massive show offers the perfect setting for people from all over Australian manufacturing sectors to access suitable resources, exchange ideas and network with the largest group of like-minded working manufacturers. By midday on the first day, we all thought the show couldn’t get any busier. There were crowds and queues in front of John Hart, OKUMA, and SWI Industries. Earlier on in the day, the very first presentation for the Future Solutions Speaker Program was Neil Matthews, the Head of Engineering at Titomic Ltd was crowded to bursting. Matthews detailed Titomic’s cold spray AM process and fed into research being done to the coating process for the aerospace, defence, transport and other manufacturing areas. Later in the day, the CSIRO PhD Cherry Chen, was digging into some…

You are invited to attend the Opening of AMW2023, the Inauguration Ceremony for the beginning of the biggest exhibition showing Australian Manufacturing off to the world. We are filling the MCEC to the brim, from Tuesday to Friday. AMW2023 will have on display some of the biggest machine tool systems in the world. While at the same time, bringing nanotech and additive manufacturing into focus with demonstrations of the very latest research prototypes. Register online now at australianmanufacturingweek.com.au The Welcome to Country and inauguration ceremony will take place at the Future Solutions Stage from 10:10 AM on Tuesday 9th May. This is the first event for the show. AMTIL is honoured to have Tony Garvey, a celebrated Elder from the local Wurundjeri mob invite them to proceed, with a Welcome to Country for AMW 2023. The Hon. Ben Carroll MP, Victorian Minister for Industry and Innovation, and Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty will then officially open the show! Over the four days, over 360 exhibitors will show their best side, in over 10,000sq metres of floor space. There will be presentations on…

Ms. O’Brien joined MCEC in January 2023 and has brought a wealth of leadership experience in the tourism and events industry. She is a former CEO of Food and Wine Victoria, producers of Australia’s internationally acclaimed Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. Most recently she has managed her own strategy consultancy while operating as a CEO for Wine Victoria, and previously interim CEO for Ballarat Regional Tourism, where she led the co-design of Visitor Economy Recovery Plans. AMT: Your work history speaks of a deep knowledge and passion for public events. Tell me about the direction and drive that has kept with you in this sector. Natalie O’Brien: It's only when you’re older, and reflect back on your career you ask yourself where did my passion come from? My passion is absolutely people and connecting with people. There’s so much energy for people to participate and collaborate in the community in Melbourne  I think my career in events, tourism and hospitality stems from being…

As the leading supplier of analytical instruments, Applied Spectra stands at the forefront of laser ablation-based elemental analysis techniques, simplifying the process of elemental chemical analysis, while delivering rapid, high-precision results that are environmentally friendly. Today, laser analysis offers a compelling value proposition over traditional chemical analysis methods. A case of taking chemical analysis into space was the arrival on Mars, of NASA’s Curiosity Rover. Deploying a LIBS instrument, named ChemCam, it is analysing the chemical composition of the Martian terrain. Scientists from Applied Spectra worked in partnership with NASA to develop the instrument. An integrated module, ChemCam includes a laser, telescope, a stereo pair of navigation cameras, and a three-channel optical spectrometer inside the rover itself (just to name some parts). The instrument permits Curiosity can take thousands of LIBS spectra a day and perform rapid elemental analysis of rocks and soils remotely making chemical analysis on the surface of Mars with unprecedented speed and communicating the results back to Earth. “Aside from this spectacular contribution to space exploration, Applied Spectra continue to develop their instruments making available…

Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW2023) is approaching fast! Less than four days! Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 9-12 May 2023. Organised and run by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), AMW2023 will take up more than 10,770 square metres at the MCEC, with over 346 organisations showcasing the latest manufacturing technologies, processes, and support services. Over the four days, there will be presentations on the AMW Future Solutions Stage from specialists in each field.  There are side events, huge networking opportunities, big machining tools and plenty of spectacular tech on display. Don’t miss out!  Register online now at australianmanufacturingweek.com.au There are also two co-located shows alongside AMW 2023.  Deeply related to the manufacturing industries, namely Plastics and Electronics. The Plastics and Medical Applications is a one-day conference held by the Society of Plastics Engineers Australia-New Zealand Section on Wednesday 10th May. This One-Day Conference is in collaboration with AMTIL, AMW2023, BioMelbourne Network and the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA). To register for the One-Day Conference, go to: plastics.org.au   ElectroneX is an electronics…

Rockwell Automation, the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, will be showcasing its Plex cloud-based manufacturing platform at this year’s Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) in Melbourne from May 9-12. Demonstrations will be held at stand RA650 (Robotics and Automation Zone). Plex, which Rockwell Automation acquired in 2021, is a Software as a Service (SaaS) Smart Manufacturing Platform that connects people, systems, machines, and supply chains. It is a digital system of record that automates business processes, tracks data from the shop floor to the top floor, and delivers analytics to improve visibility, quality, and control. Rockwell Automation recently released its 2023 State of Smart Manufacturing Report, which comprised data from thousands of manufacturers globally, including 75 in Australia. Rockwell found that more than 45% of Australian manufacturers say that they lack the innovation, skilled workforce, and technology to outpace the competition over the next 12 months. “Although smart manufacturing is key to Australia’s success, only 25% of the country’s manufacturing industry leaders said they were extremely familiar with the technologies,” said Anthony Wong, the Regional Director – South Pacific, Rockwell Automation. Plex opens up…

Apollo Motorhome Holidays, a leading manufacturer of Recreational Vehicles (RV), is pleased to announce its partnership with Markforged, the industry leader in industrial 3D printing solutions. By integrating Markforged 3D printers into its manufacturing process, Apollo is taking a significant step towards revolutionising the caravan industry. Apollo has been at the forefront of the RV industry, offering high-quality, luxury motorhomes, campervans, and caravans to customers around the world. Now, with the addition of Markforged 3D printers to its manufacturing process, Apollo is set to take its craftsmanship to the next level. Markforged 3D printers are designed to produce functional, high-strength parts using a range of materials, including carbon fiber, stainless steel, and Onyx. With the ability to create custom parts quickly and easily, Apollo can solve supply chain issues, and reduce lead times and costs while maintaining its high standards of quality. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Markforged," said Edney Ferreira /Engineering Manager of Apollo. “Their 3D printing technology is cutting-edge and will allow us to create high-quality, custom parts that are essential to the motorhomes, campervans and Caravans we…

Additive manufacturing continues to disrupt the traditional manufacturing paradigm, and every day secures a more robust foothold as a production technology. The reason for this is driven by advances in build processes that promote increases in speed, accuracy, and repeatability of production, and therefore increased yield ratios. As is now well-known and accepted, AM is important as it facilitates the creation of geometrically complex parts and components. AM reduces waste and allows for the creation of lighter structures with an obvious importance in the automotive, aerospace, and medical sectors. AM also allows for the simple production of replacement parts impossible or uneconomical to replace using traditional processes, meaning that machines can be repaired not replaced. All such advantages along with AM’s ability to democratise and localise manufacturing with all that implies in terms of shortened and domestic supply chains means that as a technology, its future is assured. AM and post-processing One area where significant issues reside in AM parts…

Chris Winter is the Co-Founder and the brains behind RedEarth Energy Storage’s battery energy storage systems (BESS) and LFP Troppo batteries. Winter previously co-founded RedFlow, where he manufactured flow batteries alone. “But it’s a bit like biotech, where you have to put in a few years work before reaping the benefits,” he said. “Building the flow battery took up a lot of my time, and one day I decided I should just produce a complete system, which is easy to install,” he said. “RedEarth now manufactures complete energy storage systems, including our own battery, which are on-grid and off-grid, ready to power businesses, homes, SMEs, and retail outlets.” One of RedEarth’s initial goals was to bring down the complexity of installation for the kits.  Installers could also install inverters, solar panels, and the battery power systems like a Meccano set. But more recently, Winter has moved into having the whole kit as an integrated storage system which includes inverters, batteries and…