Australian defence manufacturing is advancing rapidly with innovation and precision. Deepak Ganga of DMTC Limited spoke to AMT Magazine about his organisation’s work with Australian manufacturers in the sector.
DMTC Limited is working together with Australian defence manufacturers assisting in their capacity and technology development in digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) – including smart factories. Spanning an 11-year career at DMTC, Deepak Ganga is currently Head of Program Management, where he leads the Enterprise Program Management office, responsible for business transformation and the strategic alignment of DMTC’s programs.
“We have expanded a lot recently,” says Ganga. “As well as traditional defence R&D projects, we are also working on technologies with applications in related areas like health sciences, AI, robotics, IoT and Industry 4.0. During the last two years, we’ve been working behind the scenes on our program governance framework and to standardise processes. We’re now developing more software to digitalise project management tasks, as well as automating the reporting that we need to continue to do to demonstrate the value we provide to our stakeholders.”
DMTC collaborates with many innovative Australian industry, research and government partners, delivering enhanced defence and national security capabilities, while strengthening the Australian industrial capacity. Formerly known as the Defence Materials Technology Centre, DMTC was set up in 2008, initially with seven years of grant funding from the Federal Government. The Melbourne-based organisation now operates as an autonomous business with income generated from competitive contracts with multiple government departments, security agencies and industry partners across Australia.
“Collaboration still underpins everything we do,” says Ganga. He describes a current DMTC defence collaborative project using additive manufacturing as a repair technique for aircraft components.
“Instead of ordering a new part, it’s demonstrating the schedule and cost benefits of the technology to allow for the worn part to be removed from the aircraft, repaired and built back up using 3D-printed titanium, steel and other metals. and then recertified for use on the aircraft. There are several partners involved in this project including: defence and aerospace manufacturer RUAG Australia, the Defence Science and Technology Group, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology organisation (ANSTO), as well as Swinburne and RMIT Universities.”
The Victorian Minister for Industry Support and Recovery, Martin Pakula announced on 4 October that its $1.36m Smart Enough Factory program will support small to medium-sized businesses in Victoria’s defence industry to modernise design and manufacturing processes. DMTC is delivering the Smart Enough Factory program to assist participating businesses to adopt digital technologies, overcome barriers such as costs, skill shortages or security vulnerabilities, and create opportunities to enter defence supply chains.
With an aim to boost digital and Industry 4.0 capabilities, the program demonstrates that advances in data-driven production can enhance businesses’ operational performance and manufacturing productivity, leading to more efficient processes and significant cost savings. The pilot program is already underway with Victorian businesses Australian Precision Technologies, APV Corporation, AW Bell, Heat Treatment Australia and Ronson Gears.
“This is an example of a technology transfer activity around digitalisation,” explains Ganga. “The approach that we take is that we don’t sell companies a tool, we provide them with a training tool and a training experience so they can consider their own digitisation strategy and ultimately improve their digital literacy. These manufacturers can start to learn about adopting digital technologies on their manufacturing machines and how to utilise the data coming from those technologies.
“An example of this would be putting sensors on a machine to record information about throughput, downtime and the like. The real value for a small business involved in the program is how you can utilise low-cost and low-code equipment, in a secure way, to translate that information into either a more efficient manufacturing process, or to adjust workflows and extract business value out of that information. That’s key to the whole industry 4.0, AI and IoT concept.”
The first pilot program started in July last year with these five Victorian defence companies, and concluded in December. The next cohort of five manufacturers will be in regional Victoria, focused around Bendigo or Ballarat.
“Four cohorts of up to five Victorian manufacturers will be participating in the program annually,” says Ganga. “So that’s 60 SMEs over the three years that we can put into the program, and that’s only in Victoria. Manufacturers that want to participate in this program can express interest via our website.”