Industry News

**This story originally appeared in the February 2026 edition of AMT Magazine** By Martin U. Ripple, Chief Executive Officer, ANCA Group For much of modern history, engineers have been expected to advance humanity and build the future without being invited to shape it. They are often portrayed as technically brilliant but socially awkward, more comfortable with machines than people. A familiar cartoon shows a mother taking her child to the doctor, only to be told, “Oh no, it’s worse than I feared. Your son is going to be an engineer. The joke implies a lifelong condition of logic over emotion and facts over conversation. Yet this stereotype obscures a deeper truth. Almost everything that defines contemporary life from our homes and transport systems to our food supply chains, energy networks, medical devices and digital infrastructure - exists because engineers designed, built, tested and continuously improved it. While others debate direction, engineers quietly turn ideas into reality. Why then does a profession so central to modern civilisation…

**This story originally appeared in the October 2025 edition of AMT Magazine** Imagine this scenario: Your team installs a new collaborative robot application on the production line to automate what was once a manual task and introduce collaborative interaction with workers. Because the system does not rely on physical distance barriers such as perimeter guarding, it promises flexibility, space savings and productivity gains. The robot has been designed to operate under a power and force limiting (PFL) safety function, but no risk assessment was carried out to identify the contact scenarios, nor has validation been performed using a pressure and/or force measuring device. As a result, when the robot moves into action, its force and power output exceed the biomechanical limits set out in ISO 10218-2:2025, putting operators at risk of injury. It’s a stark reminder that a thorough risk assessment might have flagged that hazard and prompted better safeguards. Risk assessments are a cornerstone of workplace…

Newly announced technology greatly expands capacity of AI Replicates real world physics to truncate lead time and simulate stress testing of products Rolling out to select partners imminently, with plans for broad availability this year At 3DEXPERIENCE World in Houston, a joint announcement from NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Dassault Systèmes CEO Pascal Daloz put “physical AI” and production‑grade virtual twins at the centre one of the largest engineering gatherings of the year. The message delivered to nearly ten thousand attendees was bold: a new class of industrial AI, grounded in physics rather than just language, could compress the distance between concept and reality in dramatic fashion. Whether or not this partnership ends up defining the next decade of manufacturing software, the idea of physical AI matters. It signals a shift that could reshape design, simulation, testing and factory optimisation for manufacturers of all sizes, including in Australia’s precision sector. “AI is just an engine — you…

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**This story first appeared in the October 2025 edition of AMT Magazine** A strong sense of confidence in Australia’s precision engineering future has encouraged Redline Engineering to invest in a new 11 pallet, 5-axis Okuma CNC vertical machining centre. The model MU-5000V & Tower APC with OSP-P500MH control is the first of its type – a 5-axis machining centre with a Tower APC an automatic multi pallet system – to be installed anywhere in Australia.  Redline general manager Ken Stuart says he is confident his business will continue to grow manufacturing of its precision engineering components, due in part to the high regard in which Australian manufacturing is held around the world.  This high regard is due both to its quality and the on-time delivery that companies generate, he says. “The service aspect, I think, is becoming really important,” he says.  “Whether it is the culture we have or the way that we engage with the market, you get a sense there's a really strong passion for what we do – solving problems, being innovative, connecting to opportunities…

**This story first appeared in the October 2025 edition of AMT Magazine** Being faced with growing global demand for the high-precision gears that Ronson Gears produces is the sort of problem that might put a spring in the step of any company director. But for Ronson Gears technical director Jason Graham, the primary issue was throughput, as the company sought to serve a highly competitive global market. “We had a large backlog of work. Our equipment just wasn’t technologically advanced enough for what we were doing. Setups were taking far too long,” he says. Founded in 1954 as a local operation in Victoria, Ronson Gears today has become a globally trusted manufacturer, delivering high-precision gear solutions for industries ranging from outer space to mining. Offering full-service manufacturing capabilities covering turning, milling, gear cutting, grinding and advanced measurement, Ronson Gears employs 46 people and operates 24 hours a day, six days a week across three shifts. Graham says the company needed a solution…

Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing showcase, Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW), returns in 2026, and for the first time it is heading to Brisbane. From 12 to 14 May 2026, the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre will host thousands of industry professionals eager to explore the technologies shaping the future of precision manufacturing. Register to visit AMW 2026 in Brisbane With visitor registration now open, prospective attendees are encouraged to secure their place early. Registering ahead of time not only guarantees smooth entry but also ensures visitors are fully credentialled before arriving at the venue. This saves valuable time and allows them to move straight onto the exhibition floor without delay. AMW 2026 promises an expansive and highly curated experience. Organised by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), the event brings together an exceptional array of suppliers, innovators and technology leaders from across the sector. The exhibition will be structured across six specialised product zones—Machine Tools, Additive Manufacturing, Robotics and Automation, Welding and Air Technology, Manufacturing Solutions, and the Australian Manufacturers’ Pavilion—giving visitors clear pathways to explore the…

**This story first appeared in the October 2025 edition of AMT Magazine** Q1: Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to specialise in batteries? My background is in material science—I completed a Bachelor of Science with honours, focusing on materials in my final year. I initially wanted to pursue a PhD in chemistry, but due to the competitive environment at the time, I ended up crossing into engineering for my PhD at Monash University. My research focused on solid-state batteries before they became a major field, and I was fortunate to have supportive supervisors in Prof. Maria Forsyth and Prof. Doug McFarlane who encouraged me to pursue this path. The irony was that I ended up doing a PhD because I just really loved the research. I really enjoyed the collaborative and supportive work environment that I had – I had great other…

**This story first appeared in the October 2025 edition of AMT Magazine** Industry 4.0 – the integration of digital technologies into all aspects of industry – has been well established for some time now. But now researchers are looking at ways of using robots with a much older, more unpredictable technology. The human being. At the heart of the human-centric approach of Industry 5.0 is collaborative robotics, or “cobotics” – which are designed to work safely alongside human workers, and currently for sale and working at sites across Australia. Australian Cobotics Centre (ACC) associate director for research training Glenda Caldwell says there’s “a big shift” for researchers to consider. “Industry 4.0 is very much about how industry develops and uses more advanced technologies in their processes,” Caldwell says. “So the focus of Industry 4.0 is the technology itself, whereas Industry 5.0 is looking at, well, what are the complex problems that we face… and how do we use those technologies in different industry sectors to address those problems?” “Now we understand we’ve got these technologies,…

**This story first appeared in the October 2025 edition of AMT Magazine** When it comes to medical innovation, Australia has much to be proud of – with world leading research institutions and great minds hard at work developing products for the greater good. But taking that success in innovation and transitioning it to success as a leader in advanced medical manufacturing is another challenge – with four panellists at a recent forum explaining their own reasons why. BioMelbourne Network’s BioForum, The Smart Health Revolution: Rewiring Care Pathways, held in late July, heard from three developers of new wearable technologies – Nutromics chief executive Peter Vranes, Kali Healthcare cofounder Fiona Brownfoot and Proton Intelligence co-founder Victor Cadarso – along with Madhu Bhaskaran, research director of the Discovery to Device medtech prototyping facility at RMIT University. In her role at RMIT University, Bhaskaran leads a team of electronic materials engineers, helping companies create technologies and better design medical products including care diagnostics – such as saliva-based tests - or which are either…

**This story first appeared in the October 2025 edition of AMT Magazine** In the world of advanced manufacturing, few Australian companies have achieved the global reach and reputation of ANCA. Founded in 1974 by Pat Boland and Pat McCluskey, ANCA has grown from a local startup to a world leader in CNC tool grinding machines, with a legacy of innovation and customers spanning the globe. As a leading manufacturer, ANCA co-founder Pat Boland knows that in a changing world some constants remain – the need for vision, adaptability and an ongoing focus on people. “The world is very different now, compared to what it was when we started – and possibly the biggest changes have been in communications,” he says. “When we started our exports the Telex was the top method of communication internationally – and then what a fantastic invention the photocopier and fax machines were.” Today, with the accessibility of the internet and new artificial intelligence, Boland says the concept of a “home market”, partially isolated from the rest…

**This story first appeared in the October 2025 edition of AMT Magazine** Modern day machining is heavily reliant on carbide. We use it to make the tools that cut, shape, and machine products that directly or indirectly affect our day-to-day life. But what happens when a carbide tool reaches the end of its life? For many, the answer has been simple but wasteful: throw it away. Guhring aims to change that mindset with a carbide recycling program that is proving to be as beneficial for customers as it is for the planet. The idea is straightforward. Used carbide tools are collected, recycled, and turned back into raw material for new tools. However, the execution is where Guhring’s approach stands out. This is not a side project or an occasional green initiative. It is a full-fledged, integrated service built into the company’s operations, with a focus on both environmental responsibility and customer advantage. Turning scrap into opportunity Most people do not realise just how valuable carbide is.…

**This story first appeared in the October 2025 edition of AMT Magazine** The CSIRO’s Continuous3D project is giving robots the “brains and eyes” they need to make industrial repairs more efficient – while also addressing the sector’s shortage of skilled labour. Like many advanced economies, Australia faces a looming shortage of skilled tradespeople. CSIRO Robot Manufacturing Team senior research scientist Peter King says he understands Australia needs 70,000 welders by the year 2030. “Whereas in the past, we had these people, now the younger generation is more interested in other professions. That leaves us with the problem of keeping critical infrastructure running and manufacturing things,” he says. Continuous3D was born out of the need to make working with industrial robots easier and more productive, King explains. “The first part of a project typically involves a lot of robot programming, and that can often be quite a headache,” he says. “Often you want to get down to actually doing the task, but the first thing you’ve got to do is…