Automotive & Transport

The Western Australian Government has today announced plans for a proposed large-scale defence manufacturing hub aimed at strengthening sovereign industrial capability and attracting international investment. The announcement was made today at IODS 2026 by Premier Roger Cook with Minister for Defence Industries Paul Papalia and Manufacturing Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson, and outlined the Government’s call for industry participation in shaping the proposed precinct. Expressions of interest (EOI) are now open to local, national and international companies to help shape the proposed hub, which would focus on advanced defence manufacturing and supporting technologies. Areas identified as part of the opportunity include aerospace, autonomous systems, advanced materials, precision manufacturing, energetics and space technologies. AMTIL strongly supports this initiative as it aligns with our commitment to championing advanced manufacturing growth, fostering industry collaboration, and ensuring Australian manufacturers remain globally competitive. The Western Australian Government said the initiative was intended to support Australia’s sovereign defence capability while contributing to allied supply chains and growing global demand for advanced defence manufacturing. “This is a call out to our…

To be held in Melbourne on September 18, the 2025 Mobility Technology Excellence Awards encompass all areas of mobility engineering including electric, autonomous and combustion engine technology, aerospace and defence, heavy commercial vehicles (on-and-off road), rail and rolling stock, specialty vehicles, mobility industry supply chains, research and development (R&D) agencies and service organisations. Nominations are now open and will close on June 30, 2025. The Mobility Technology Excellence Award has long been regarded as a prestigious accolade within the mobility engineering profession, offering significant recognition across the industry. All award nominations are reviewed by an expert panel of judges comprising of highly experienced and respected engineers in their field. All award-winning entries will be published in both the SAE-A's quarterly Vehicle Technology Engineer (VTE) magazine and other transport engineering publications as well as the SAE-A website and various online platforms. Companies and individuals may self-nominate or be nominated by others. The awards are presented at a gala industry dinner to those who have demonstrated…

Marine Air Flow International is an innovative Australian manufacturer with expertise in designing and manufacturing engine ventilation equipment. The company has built a reputation as a niche player in a highly specialised sector. Focusing on creating filtration systems that separate salt mist particles from the air and provide clean air into engine rooms, the company plays a crucial role in marine engineering. It designs solutions for new builds, retrofits, and rebuilds, serving clients worldwide. Nearly 50% of its business is exported globally. Many of the components within their carefully engineered and high-performance solutions are manufactured from aluminium supplied by Capral. “We’ve had a longstanding relationship with Capral,” said Blake Highland, Production Manager for Marine Air Flow International. “They provide several custom extrusions for us to use in our proprietary designs.” In 2022, Capral Introduced LocAl®, a low-carbon aluminium option. The primary aluminium used in Capral's LocAl® offer is produced using alternative energy sources, which significantly lowers the CO2 emissions associated with its production, at just 4kg CO2e/1kg Al*. LocAl Supergreen offers substantially lower embodied…

From 2024, commuters on sections of regional New South Wales began travelling on a state-of-the-art fleet of intercity trains. Named after the Dharug word for emu, the 610 carriages in the Mariyung fleet offer modern safety and advanced features for customers who make almost 45 million journeys a year on this network. To support these critical assets, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) constructed a 500,000 square metre depot at Kangy Angy, near the Central Coast. The TfNSW Intercity Fleet Maintenance Facility, which operates 24/7, features approximately 6 kilometres of electric rail lines and heavy equipment, including a 50-tonne wheel lathe. One of the core requirements for the facility was to implement a robust safety system, and CNFiTech was assigned the task of developing a flexible and functional design for a Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS). The system needed to be SIL-2 rated, crafted using readily available proprietary safety hardware and software tools, and easy to…

A few years ago, Freighter Group, then named MaxiTRANS, seriously considered scrapping its heavy-duty truck trailer manufacturing business. It seemed an era was coming to an end at the Australian company, which had spent decades building up its production facilities, relying heavily on manual processes and a skilled workforce. Now, high labour costs and long lead times were eating into its profits, and it faced a crucial decision. But in a Herculean effort, the management team opted to transform the company’s old manufacturing facility into a Smart Factory. It figured it would take three tough years to turn things around – and now the company is seeing the first signs of success. Greg L’Estrange was working in the company’s facility in Ballarat when his phone rang. On the other end of the line was a forklift driver from the factory. “He asked me about one particular part. He wasn’t entirely sure where it was meant to go, but he had already worked out what he was going to do with it,” recalls L’Estrange, Executive…

Last year alone, RAM3D 3D printed and delivered 17,000+ of those ‘solutions’ (parts, components, and more) for our customers. AMW visitors can interact with a wide range of our metal 3D-printed parts at our stand to get an accurate look and feel for the possibilities and quality that RAM3D offers. Maybe you haven’t tried metal 3D printing yet. If that’s the case, RAM3D can help you maximise this Industry 4.0 technology, with over a decade of experience supplying various sectors such as aerospace and defence, industrial and engineering clients, and high-level sport and bespoke recreation markets worldwide. As specialists in the Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) process of Selective Laser Melting (SLM), our technical expertise truly shines as we bring our customers’ parts to life, understanding that the key benefits of utilising Metal AM—producing complex geometries, intricate shapes and structures, integrated design, and overall lighter, stronger, higher quality, and more efficient parts—are realised in every print. At previous shows, one of RAM3D’s repeat customers (a Victoria local) has cycled in on one of his titanium printed models to loan…

Capral has successfully trialled the recycled-content billet supplied by Rio Tinto at Boyne Smelters Limited (BSL), using 50 to 100 tonnes of post-production aluminium scrap from its Bremer Park extrusion plant in Southeast Queensland. The scrap was remelted and cast into billets, resulting in a new product with a minimum of 20% recycled content. This creates a new era of environmentally conscious local aluminium production. Capral is exploring options for incorporating this sustainable material into its product offer. This closed-loop approach not only minimises waste but also reduces carbon intensity of extrusions produced from such billets. This trial has successfully demonstrated the potential of a Made in Australia closed loop aluminium solution, in line with the Australian Government’s Future Made in Australia policy. The entire production process has been done entirely in Australia, from raw materials of bauxite and alumina to primary aluminium production, to Capral’s extrusion process, to Rio Tinto’s remelting of scrap into finished recycled billet product. "Whilst Capral recycles the vast majority of our scrap, it must be sent offshore for processing and typically ends up in…

AMSL Aero, a zero-emission aircraft designer and manufacturer, has been completing test flights of Vertiia, Australia’s first passenger-capable, emission-free, long-range electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The craft has been designed to travel up to 1,000 kilometres on hydrogen at a cruising speed of 300km/h with zero carbon emissions. It can carry up to four passengers and a pilot. AMSL Aero’s Vertiia customers plan commercial flights following certification and regulatory approval in 2027. Vertiia is an Australian-designed and manufactured eVTOL, the new generation of aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but flies fast and smoothly like a fixed-wing aeroplane. “My Dad was in the Navy and always spoke about flying off aircraft carriers,” explained Andrew Moore. “I grew up on a farm that had an airstrip. In the vastness of outback NSW, you had the ‘bank run’, the ‘mail run’, and medical and pathology supplies all having to be flown in. Growing up, I felt…

The Toyota Hydrogen Centre, Victoria’s first commercial-grade permanent hydrogen production, storage, and refuelling facility, is set to use green hydrogen production capabilities for automotive, transport, and even buildings. It is located at the Toyota Centre of Excellence (COE) at Toyota’s former car and engine manufacturing site in Melbourne's west. The COE also incorporates product development, design, testing training and other essential functions. Toyota’s global vision for a sustainable hydrogen society recognises the importance of hydrogen as a viable and plentiful source of carrying and storing energy. Toyota’s Hydrogen Centre opened five years ago and was Victoria's first commercial-grade permanent hydrogen production, storage and refuelling facility. It is housed at Toyota’s former manufacturing site at Altona in Melbourne's west. “Hydrogen is produced on-site by a 250kW electrolyser that uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen components and can produce up to 80kg of hydrogen per day,” advises Toyota Australia’s Carbon Policy Lead, Andrew Willis. “Power for the electrolyser is drawn from the on-site 3.4MW solar array and the grid, depending on what is available. “An on-site refueller…

The estimated 1.5 billion-plus global audience for this year’s Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup will witness not only spectacularly fast races from the AC75 competitors, including Emirates Team New Zealand, but also a showcase of the New Zealand engineering skills supporting the biggest-ever programme of Cup races, also including women’s and youth events. “What people see on the surface, with yachts such as Emirates Team New Zealand reaching speeds of more than 50 knots, is just part of a wonderful story for local skills,” says long-time Emirates Team New Zealand supporter Lee Short, Director of Hydraulink Fluid Connectors. “Inside the boats there is a wealth of technical and engineering input from a host of New Zealand companies that put us right up there with the world’s best. The quality of hydraulic systems engineering in these boats is right up to the standards of Formula One racing cars. The 350kg foil canting system that enables the boats to respond quickly to changes and inputs has to…

The industrial landscape is undergoing a significant transformation with the rise of digital technologies. One of the key drivers of this shift is industrial mobility, a concept that is changing how factories and manufacturing processes operate. Industrial mobility involves using advanced technology to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and enable greater autonomy on the factory floor. Industrial mobility's impact is already felt in industries like manufacturing, logistics, and transportation. Autonomous vehicles and robots are used to manage inventory, map factory layouts, plan efficient routes, and even autonomously control entire production systems. As these technologies continue to develop, investment in private mobility companies has surged, with $6.8bn invested during the 2012-2017 period. This trend is expected to accelerate as the technology matures. What is Industrial mobility? Industrial mobility refers to using autonomous vehicles and robotic systems to automate the movement of materials and goods within industrial settings. Unlike traditional mobility, which focuses on transporting people, industrial mobility is tailored to meet the unique needs of the manufacturing, logistics, and process industries. For example,…

Incat specialises in high-speed, lightweight aluminium passenger vehicle ferries and has become synonymous with innovation and sustainability. Using aluminium to construct its vessels is integral to Incat's design philosophy and operational strategy, and the business has had a long-standing partnership with Capral Aluminium. Robert Clifford founded Incat as a family business with small ferries across Hobart's Derwent River. This modest beginning ignited a passion for innovation, leading to the development of some of the world's largest passenger catamarans. Today, Incat's vessels are common across many continents, including Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Stephen Casey, CEO of Incat explained. "From really small, humble beginnings as a family business, Incat vessels now are all around the world," highlighting the company's expansive reach. Based in Derwent Park, Hobart, Incat boasts the largest covered shipyard in the southern hemisphere. The facility, comprising five large production halls, is strategically located on the waterfront of Prince of Wales Bay, facilitating the seamless launch and sea trials of its vessels. Incat is a business committed to innovation and sustainability, which…

Injectronics, Australia's leading automotive remanufacturing and repair specialist, has launched an innovative 48-hour turnaround service designed to help workshops clear bays faster and get cars back on the road. This new service guarantees rapid, reliable, and cost-effective repairs for various electronic components, allowing mechanics to speed up repairs and minimise delays for customers across Australia and New Zealand. Workshops are under increasing pressure to improve efficiency and minimise inflationary costs. Injectronics’ latest offering fills a critical market gap for high-quality, fast repairs. This service aims to support mechanics by providing customers with a more reliable and affordable alternative to new components. A key highlight of this new 48-hour turnaround is Injectronics’ recent move to a state-of-the-art facility in Keysborough. This facility is four times the size of its previous Hallam operations, allowing the company to increase its capacity significantly. Alongside this expansion, Injectronics has invested in modernising its processes with cutting-edge technology to automate the repair process. This advanced setup enables rapid diagnostics and remanufacturing of components and ensures the highest standards of quality and precision in…