Industry News

The Federal and South Australian governments have selected CIMIC Group CPB Contractors to deliver the Tram Grade Separation Projects in an Alliance with McConnell Dowell, Mott MacDonald, ARUP, and Aurecon. Designed to improve transport safety, efficiency, and reliability, the Tram Grade Separation Projects will also enhance amenity, connectivity, and liveability along the existing tram line from Adelaide’s CBD to Glenelg. Modifications to the existing overpass at South Road are key to this project and are required to facilitate the construction of the highly anticipated River Torrens to Darlington Project. CIMIC said in a news release that the Tram Grade Separation Project will generate revenue of approximately $212.8m for CPB Contractors. “These upgrades will be critical to supporting economic growth in South Australia and reducing travel times for motorists, buses, freight, and airport traffic while promoting sustainable urban growth and low-emission, healthy transport choices for commuters,” said CIMIC Group Chairman Juan Santamaria. “On completion, these works will foster a stronger sense of community between the suburbs of Adelaide, providing better, safer, and more accessible tram stops with improved…

TROAX offers innovative products designed to optimise safety and efficiency in warehouse environments. TROAX's mesh panel partitions represent a leap forward in material handling safety. Crafted from durable wire mesh, these partitions provide excellent visibility and ventilation, crucial for maintaining optimal operational conditions. The design allows light penetration and facilitates sprinkler systems, enhancing fire safety measures. By integrating these partitions, warehouses can create safer and more productive environments. From expansive distribution centres to sensitive areas like data centres, Troax offers tailored solutions to meet diverse logistical needs. The mesh panels are not only functional but also versatile. They can be configured in numerous ways to suit specific requirements, providing an affordable and future-proof solution. With standard heights of 2,200 and 3,000mm and free-standing wall heights of up to 6,600 mm, these partitions offer both flexibility and scalability. TROAX's commitment to safety and innovation ensures that each installation is unique and perfectly aligned with the needs of the facility. Whether integrating mesh panel systems or steel sheet alternatives, Troax ensures a seamless fit with smart…

The potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to improve social and economic well-being is immense. AI development and deployment are accelerating and are already permeating institutions, infrastructure, products, and services. This often occurs undetected by those engaging with it. The Australian Government’s consultations on safe and responsible AI have shown that our current regulatory system is not fit for purpose to respond to the distinct risks that AI poses. Internationally, governments are introducing new regulations to address the risks of AI, with a focus on creating preventative, risk-based guardrails that apply across the AI supply chain and throughout the AI lifecycle. Australia needs a modern and effective regulatory system to unlock innovative uses of AI. Last year, the government consulted with the public and industry about AI, and Australians told them they wanted to see stronger regulation so they can confidently seize the opportunities that AI presents. The next step was producing the Proposals Paper for Introducing Mandatory Guardrails for AI in Hisk-Risk Setting. This included a proposed definition of high-risk AI, Ten proposed mandatory guardrails, and three regulatory…

Customer Relationship Management systems (CRMs) are making an impact in Australia’s construction scene and not in the way you might think. Software traditionally used by sales and marketing teams to store data and track interactions, CRMs have now evolved to help with project management, product forecasting and compliance. Speedpanel, a leading Australian manufacturer of lightweight, user-friendly, fire-rated acoustic systems, has relied on SugarCRM for traditional sales and marketing needs for years. Now, the company is expanding its CRM use as part of an internal technology transformation. Their company use case shows how CRMs can be leveraged to improve business processes outside sales and marketing. Data in one place Bringing data into one place was Speedpanel’s biggest priority when upgrading to SugarCRM. Before SugarCRM the company used different systems to track building projects, leading to inconsistent and, at times, unreliable data. Now, all building project information is stored in SugarCRM. “Sugar is our project information oracle,” says Peter Lorenc, National Sales and Marketing Manager at Speedpanel. “With SugarCRM, everyone can see what stage a project is in and view related documents, meetings, call notes,…

Siemens and Ampcontrol, a leading Australian energy solutions provider, have announced a collaboration agreement to develop technology solutions for battery energy storage and grid applications in the Australian renewable energy market. The announcement comes at a time of growing demand for these solutions due to Australia's rapid expansion of renewable energy. The new agreement extends the existing relationship between the organisations that have worked together on several energy and renewable projects. The agreement will focus on solutions for battery energy storage and grid applications designed around Siemens’ renowned SINAMICS S120 inverters, which provide virtual synchronous generator functionalities for system strength and grid stability in the network. Overall, this will help increase digitalisation and grid resilience and support the nation’s transition to net zero. “It’s great to formalise the relationship with Ampcontrol who we’ve worked with for many years,” said Darryl Kaufmann, head of Siemens’ digital industries division in Australia and New Zealand. “This comes at a critical time for the renewable energy sector and the energy transition. A successful energy transition requires collaboration – especially to scale…

New modelling reveals that low-carbon concrete developed at RMIT University can recycle double the amount of coal ash compared to current standards, halve the amount of cement required and perform exceptionally well over time. In 2022, more than 1.2 billion tonnes of coal ash were produced by coal-fired power plants. In Australia, it accounts for nearly a fifth of all waste and will remain abundant for decades to come, even as we shift to renewables. Meanwhile, cement production accounts for 8% of global carbon emissions, and demand for concrete—which uses cement as a key ingredient—is growing rapidly. Addressing both challenges head-on, engineers at RMIT have partnered with AGL's Loy Yang Power Station and the Ash Development Association of Australia to substitute 80% of the cement in concrete with coal fly ash. RMIT project lead Dr Chamila Gunasekara said this represents a significant advance as existing low-carbon concretes typically have at most 40% of their cement replaced with fly ash. "Our addition of nano additives to modify the concrete’s chemistry allows more fly ash to be added without compromising…

Water and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are going to have to work harder as Australia’s weather patterns turn drier with the arrival of the El Nino forecast by the Weather Bureau to be with us by the end of this year. One of their first lines of defence against process disruption, blockages and environmental spills will be WWTP headworks comprising mechanical screens, screening compactors, grit removal systems and grit washing systems installed in municipal and industrial plants. The challenges for WWTPs during El Nino may include widely variable flow patterns, including extended lower flow rates bringing with them greater concentrations of solids, debris, and grit carried in the reduced volumes of inlet water. Headworks will be asked to efficiently process throughputs without clogging and environmental spills – and continue to do it with less on-site maintenance because many local authorities today can afford fewer specialist operations and engineering staff on call or on-site. Prevention is better than downtime Prevention is better than expensive downtime. Damage or weakness is…

Advanced Composite Structures Australia (ACS Australia), based in Port Melbourne, specialises in designing and manufacturing composite structures. With over three decades of experience, ACS Australia is best known for taking on composites development in the ‘too hard basket’. In recent years, this has expanded to the automated manufacture of ultra-high temperature composites for hypersonic and space vehicle parts. ACS Australia has made significant investments supported by a Federal Government Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority (SICP) grant, which has assisted in the funding of a $400k project to further advance the production capabilities of ultra-high temperature composites for hypersonic vehicles and space applications. This contributes to a total investment of over $1m for the past year. Ultra-high temperature composites utilise materials capable of withstanding hypersonic speeds greater than five times the speed of sound (≥ Mach 5) and temperatures up to 2,500°C. Under these conditions, conventional materials tend to break down through surface-level reactions. Production of UHT composites is complex and costly and involves advanced manufacturing processes. Thus, ACS Australia has been developing ultra-high temperature materials and automated processes to…

Markforged has unveiled the FX10 Metal Kit, a print engine that makes the FX10 capable of metal printing. With this kit, the FX10 becomes the world’s first industrial 3D printer to print metal filaments and composites with continuous fibre reinforcement. The new metal printing capability for the FX10 will accelerate adoption on the factory floor. “Customers no longer have to choose between a metal and a composite printer. Years of R&D investment and field experience have come together to provide an all-in-one solution for 3D printing to provide immediate return on investment once installed on a factory floor,” said Shai Terem, CEO of Markforged. “The FX10 supercharges other equipment on the factory floor to be better utilised and run more efficiently, increasing productivity and reducing potential line down events.” The FX10, released in November 2023 as a composite-only printer, was designed to be the most versatile tool on the factory floor and has received tremendous feedback from early customers. With its modular architecture, upgrades like the Metal Kit enable FX10 customers to gain additional value from the machine…

The Victorian advanced manufacturing industry supports jobs for more than 283,000 people. Victoria is the manufacturing base of choice for local and multinational manufacturers. Victoria’s advanced manufacturing capabilities attract investment in health tech, zero and low emissions technology, food, defence, aerospace and digital technologies. In addition to its established and rapidly growing pharmaceutical manufacturing base, which is the largest in Australia and includes CSL; the fastest growing brand in the biopharmaceutical industry globally. Victoria also has a range of local and global manufacturing and supply chain capabilities for medtech products. Victorian manufacturers’ top export markets include New Zealand, the United States, China and Japan. Victoria is home to 41 ASX-listed medtech companies with a combined market capitalisation of $14bn. The MedTech manufacturing sector in Victoria includes large-scale state-of-the-art ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 qualified contract manufacturers with rapid scale-up capability that provide responsive manufacturing services through all stages of design, development and market supply. Industry players include Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions, Hydrix, Invetech, Planet Innovation, SCHOTT MINIFAB and SRX Global. The Victorian Medical Device Prototyping and Scale-up…

In January this year, a deadly red imported fire ant (RIFA) was discovered in Tasmania in an Australia Post parcel that originated in Queensland. First discovered in Australia in 2001, the highly invasive species can wreak havoc wherever they spread, destroying animals that nest, feed, or simply go near the ground. Fire ants have now established colonies in Southeast Queensland with the pests jumping the border with their discoveries in northern NSW. The USA failed to prioritise their eradication program and it now costs the industry and agriculture sector US$7bn a year to manage. Fortunately, Australia has access to a locally developed solution that has been proven. “The challenge is to drive its wide adoption,” said Sundew Solutions CEO, David Priddy. His company has spent ten years developing, testing, and refining a treatment to deal with fire ant infestations. The company’s ANTagonistPRO rapid response large area treatment is currently Australia’s only approved spray treatment that can be applied rapidly over large surface areas by tractors, utes, quad bikes, and other farm vehicles equipped with…

Hare & Forbes Machinery House has expanded its footprint, opening a new store in Adelaide, South Australia. This exciting development marks a significant milestone for the family-owned Australian business as it seeks to serve its customer base in the region better. The new store, boasting over 4,300sqm, will offer a wide range of machinery and equipment catering to various industries, including metalworking, woodworking, automotive, and fabrication. This is the fifth Hare & Forbes Machinery House store, with existing branches in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. “We’re really pleased to be trading in Adelaide finally,” said Rick Foster, General Manager. “This project has been in the plans for almost five years. It’s really exciting for us to invest in a brick-and-mortar store in a new location.” The new store's launch underscores Hare & Forbes' dedication to innovation and growth and its ongoing commitment to providing industry-leading solutions to its customers, as it has done for over 90 years. Through its extensive product offerings, knowledgeable staff, and dedication to customer service, Hare & Forbes aims to become the go-to destination for engineering…

Monitoring the health of humans hundreds of kilometres above the Earth and in the infinite space beyond is a major challenge in the complex microgravitational environment of space. Australia’s population, dispersed across a vast geographic landscape, offers a similar challenge to health professionals. The ability to access real-time data that could aid in precise diagnosis, predictive assessment, and, consequent treatments during human spaceflight could in turn save lives for those operating in isolated areas such as mining, defence, or those living in remote environments on Earth. Australia is already a world leader in delivering medical care to remote regions. This iLAuNCH Trailblazer project will build on this expertise, transferring the capability to predict and monitor physiological changes to human spaceflight. “I applaud Aspen Medical for making the leap into the demanding environment of space, and showcasing how space technology can help us here on Earth. It's a great project led by the Australian National University, partnering with industry leaders including Saber Astronautics, Aspen Medical, and Liquid Instruments,” said iLAuNCH Trailblazer Executive Director, Darin Lovett. Aspen Medical is one partner…