Industry News

The Exclusive License Agreement with CSIRO grants Titomic exclusive global rights to two patents for the production of pipe, as well as continuous pipe manufactured using titanium and titanium alloys. This will open significant revenue opportunities for Titomic across a number of major industries, in particular the oil & gas, defence, marine and mining sectors. Under the agreement, Titomic will also receive more than eight years of exclusive innovative additive manufacturing techniques, background IP, and know-how for the production of pipe and pipe components including, but not limited to, valves and fitting components. This technology results from the 2010 Victorian Government-initiated Victorian Direct Manufacturing Centre (VDMC) program, which received contributions of approximately $10M, from industry and research providers to help revitalise the manufacturing sector and deliver economic and environmental benefits to Victoria. Pipe can now be 3D-printed using Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF) systems, without the size and profile constraints of traditional pipe manufacturing techniques. TKF-produced metal pipe has superior wear and corrosion resistant properties in comparison to traditional wrought metal pipe. By utilising…

Austech is Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition, showcasing the very latest in state-of-the-art manufacturing technology. The opening of registrations marks a significant milestone in the build-up to this year’s exhibition, which is set to be the biggest in the event’s history. Preparations for Austech 2019 have been marked by unprecedented levels of early interest. Floor space for the exhibition has been booked significantly faster than it was for Austech 2017, which went on to become one of the most successful shows to date. For this year’s event more than 5,600 square metres of space have already been sold. To accommodate such strong demand, AMTIL took the decision late last year to expand its booking with the MCEC, making this year’s Austech the largest in terms of floor space to date. However, despite the addition of further bays within the exhibition hall, demand has remained very strong, with most of the exhibition area now fully booked. Notably, early floor space sales have been dominated by a comparatively small number of…

Competing in an increasingly competitive international marketplace, Nupress focuses on working smarter not harder. Its innovative manufacturing approach positions it well for the manufacture of unique, complex parts, while also being able to excel in high-quantity batch manufacturing. This commitment to innovation and quality led to Nupress’ Managing Director Murray Claire and its CEO Craig McWilliam embarking on an analysis of suitable co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM) technologies to complement and enhance their other leading edge technologies. Among other parameters, the key criteria established by Claire and McWilliam were threefold : The system should enhance the company’s process control capabilities and had to include continuous analogue scanning. The selected unit should be suitable for use in both a production and a quality assurance role. To get the best out of any system that Nupress chose, extensive ongoing local support would be critical. After evaluating three potential suppliers, Nupress decided on a Hexagon Global Classic SR 09.12.08 CMM with PC-DMIS software and analogue scanning. The Global Classic is…

Australia has a proven history of aerospace manufacturing and continues to provide world-class products to both the local and the global aerospace sector, based on an understanding of unique considerations such as the need for particular expertise, and dedicated resources. According to the Aerospace Manufacturing Services Report published by the Australian Trade Commission, the aerospace industry has to deal in specialty alloys and materials for their products, and also has multiple regulations and certifications to consider during the overall manufacturing process and in meeting the all-important deadline. In order to accomplish this, certain matters must be taken into consideration. Time and quality management are crucial and can be the key differentiators. It is then critical that the right enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is in place. This will help to ensure a…

Frank Singer, Head of Department Vehicle System Installation at Airbus Helicopters in Germany explains: “It happens again and again that a crew member of a helicopter stands outside on the runners during the flight due to operational reasons under certain circumstances, such as during operation of the rescue winch. The relatively small footprint on the runners could be optimised by using a step.” Firstly, the nearly 3m-long model is subdivided into individual printable parts. Afterwards, individual plug-in connections are constructed, in a design reminiscent of a jigsaw puzzle. “In the past, we have had to divide larger prototypes into separate parts because of the print bed size,” says Frank Singer. “These were often glued together. However, this was always associated with further processing steps, which we can now save – if the application allows it. The quickly printed parts require no further processing steps or curing…

In the study, 90% of respondents indicated that they would be more likely to purchase food products that were made in Australia, 76% more likely for clothes, 73% for wine, 62% for sporting goods, 62% for electrical goods and 52% for motor vehicles. Ben Lazzaro, Chief Executive of the Australian Made Campaign said: “Roy Morgan’s research highlights the importance that Australian’s place on ‘buying local’. There is an increasing demand for authentic Aussie products produced in our clean, green environment and manufactured to our high standards. Awareness around country of origin labelling has increased in recent years, with more Australians wanting to know where their products come from. The Australian Made logo is the most important tool for consumers in identifying authentic Aussie products.” Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, explained that the data shows that Aussie-made products are favoured by consumers: “90% of Australians are more likely to buy a product that is ‘made in Australia’, up from a very…

The return to expansion follows a flat result in December 2018 that ended 26 months of continuous expansion (readings above 50 points indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase). January 2019 saw mild improvements in sales, new orders, exports and production compared with December for many manufacturers. Conditions remain more favourable for food & beverages manufacturers than those in other sectors, with exports and new orders looking especially promising. Six of the seven activity indexes in the Australian PMI indicated expansion in January (see table below), but they have been trending down on average since Q3 2018. New orders improved by 2.0 points to 52.3 while the production index recovered from December’s mild contraction (up 4.9 points to 54.0). Supplier deliveries rose 6.2 points to 55.6, but finished stocks (inventories) were depleted in order to meet new year demand (down 7.8 points to 47.7). “2019 is clearly bringing a new set of challenges to Australian manufacturing,” said…

I wanted to start off with that because 2019 is going to be a big year for us here at AMTIL. Most importantly, it will be the 20th anniversary of the establishment of our Association. It seems hard to believe it’s been two decades since AMTIL was formed with the merger of the Institute of Machine Tools Australia and the Australian Machine Tool Association. The time has flown by, but the enthusiasm of the team here hasn’t faded, and we’re looking forward to many more years supporting the interests of manufacturers and manufacturing technology suppliers in Australia. We hope to be holding a number of events to celebrate AMTIL’s 20th birthday, but the biggest of all will – of course – be Austech, which will take place at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 14-17 May. As Australia’s premier showcase for advanced manufacturing technology, Austech has been a core part of our activities for almost as long as AMTIL itself has been in existence. The show has…

While the air displays act as a big draw for the general public who attend Avalon, the real business is done in the exhibition. Avalon is a global business event that attracts senior civil aviation, air transport, aerospace and defence industry, military and government decision‐makers from around the world. In 2017 the last event featured 664 companies from 25 countries, 158 delegations and more than 33,000 accredited trade attendances, with a total event attendance of 210,664. As part of the build-up to the event, its organisers have released the shortlist for the $60,000 Avalon 2019 Innovation Awards. Twenty three SMEs, research institutions and individuals from six Australian states and territories have made the shortlist, submitting innovations across a range of fields from aerial sensors to helicopter training, a system to monitor space assets and a water‐powered rocket school teaching aid. Judged by an expert panel, the Avalon 2019 Innovation Awards attracted a record…

Vaxxas is an Australian-based biotechnology company with the primary goal of commercialising an innovative, next-generation vaccine delivery platform. Vaxxas’ Micro-projection Array Patch (MAP) technology targets immunological cells below the surface of the skin. The Vaxxas MAP is applied to the skin using a disposable applicator, containing and protecting the product and ensuring repeatable delivery into the skin. This project focuses on the manufacture and testing of a prototype commercial applicator to de-risk the device design prior to the high capital investment of a pilot scale manufacturing equipment and Australian based pilot scale manufacturing facility. UoS researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and Health, Professor Rachel Skinner, Cristyn Davies, and Professor Robert Booy, are working with Professor Behnam Fahimnia from the Business School to undertake usability and acceptability studies including an in-clinic assessment and a logistic impact/disruption assessment. “We are at an important stage of the…

After the best part of two decades working within the IP industry and seeing numerous missed opportunities, it remains an unfortunate reality that leaders and key decisionmakers at many of Australia’s most innovative manufacturing businesses – particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – do not adequately understand the full range of ways in which they can capitalise on their IP. This is a common theme across Australia’s advanced manufacturing sector, including within our most innovative companies developing highly specialised products and processes in areas such as aerospace, defence, automotive, clean and renewable technology, medical technology, biopharmaceuticals, mining and agribusiness. All too often the typical ‘understanding’ is that IP is only used “to stop others from copying us”. This results in the limited view that it is necessary to have a hard fought and costly court battle to resolve the issue at hand and gain value from an IP portfolio. Such a narrow outlook adversely limits the potential…

ANFF-SA is one of eight university-based hubs around Australia, which are funded by the Federal and State Governments, CSIRO and participant universities. Complementing the University of South Australia’s Future Industries Institute’s research infrastructure at its Mawson Lakes campus, the South Australian node started out a decade ago, specialising in microfluidics. While this remains a key strength, its expertise has grown to include lab-on-a-chip technology, advanced sensing, functional coatings and separation science. It is now attracting highly specialised work from around the globe with many services in high demand. Products developed in the past couple of years at the node include a microfluidic device offering gene-modified cell therapy, a non-invasive device to test urine for the presence of bladder cancer cells, a micro needle for an in-home blood-testing platform and a microfluidic chip for high-value mineral extraction. Associate Professor Craig Priest is the Director of the South Australian node. He says the success of the facility in…

Founded in 1994 by David Nabulsi and his wife, this specialist manufacturer of switchboards and switchrooms took advantage of the latest in pressbrake and fibre laser technology to boost its capabilities and efficiencies in this area. Nabulsi, an industrial electrician by trade, initially established DJN Electrical as an electrical contractor primarily specialising in industrial controls and industrial electrical work. In 2000 he spotted an opportunity to start making switchboards, and built a specialised workshop for switchboard manufacturing from which DJN Switchboards was born. These used enclosures that were pre-manufactured by external companies. Early in 2017, Nabulsi decided to establish his own sheet metal department to enable him to produce the cabinets and assemblies in-house. “We wanted to build our enclosures in the most modern way possible,” says Nabulsi. “I bought a CAD designer on board to design our own cabinetry, and looked at what CNC pressbrake and laser cutter we would buy. We ended up selecting the…