Industry News

Registrations are now open for Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW2023), held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 9-12 May 2023. Organised and run by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), AMW2023 will occupy more than 10,764 square metres of exhibition space at the MCEC, with over 330 organisations taking stands to showcase the latest manufacturing technologies, processes, and support services. Don’t miss out!  Register online now at australianmanufacturingweek.com.au The first day of the Australian Manufacturing Week Melbourne 2023, has been aptly titled The AM Hub Digital and Additive Manufacturing Day and is part of the Future Solutions Speaker Program. Tuesday 9th May at AMW2023 will celebrate the innovations and constant developments sweeping this segment of the manufacturing industry in Australia. Led by AMTIL, and generously supported by the Victorian Government, the Additive Manufacturing Hub has been established to grow and develop Additive Manufacturing capability. The AM Hub will be the first port of call for any companies looking to explore the potential of additive manufacturing, or further expand their…

During the launch of the National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) Corporation Bill in the House of Representatives in Canberra, the Minister for Industry, Science and Manufacturing Ed Husic said the Fund would help create secure, high-paying jobs for workers across the country, including in the regions, outer suburbs and remote communities. The NRF will invest $15bn across priority areas of the economy including renewables and low emissions technologies, medical science, transport, value-adding in resources, value-adding in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, defence capability and enabling technologies. “The National Reconstruction Fund is a nation-building, transformational investment to help deliver a better future,” said Minister Husic. “I look forward to working constructively across the Senate to deliver the National Reconstruction Fund for Australians.” The Assistant Trade and Manufacturing Minister Tim Ayres appeared on Sky News on later on Thursday, to explain the impact of this legislation. Speaking to host Laura Jayes, he said, “It's going to give us the capacity to deal with the industrial and energy challenges of the future. Actually, we've got…

On Wednesday 8th March, AMTIL staged the Women in Manufacturing Barefoot Bowls Competition at the Brighton Indoor Bowling Club with a great number appearing to have a valuable bond, on this International Women's Day event. Members spoke of the barriers broken down in the Australian manufacturing industry over the years. “There have been a lot of general improvements and we are all working on more barriers being lifted,” said one. Back to the game of barefoot bowls, the William Buck team won first prize, the Integra team walked away with the chocolate spoon, and Danni from Sheetmetal Machinery won the door prize. After the game, the whole crew stayed for a BBQ spread for lunch. In some countries, IWD is a public holiday, and in some countries it is, but only for the women. Other groups say it should remain as a day of activism, a “highly considerable and visible opportunity for impact.” The global campaign theme for IWD 2023 is #EmbraceEquity. Each of the four AMTIL lawn bowls teams wore colours…

Victorian Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty Ben Carroll has announced nominations are open for this year’s awards, which is the state’s biggest celebration of Victoria’s leading manufacturers. Established in 2001, the awards recognise individuals and companies that embrace new technologies, excel in business innovation, drive exports and boost the state’s economy. Victoria’s $31bn manufacturing industry is made up of more than 23,000 businesses, employing more than 260,000 people – providing around 30% of Australia’s manufacturing output. “The awards recognise our top manufacturers that are leading from the front – cementing our status as Australia’s manufacturing state,” said Ben Carroll, the Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty. “We’ll continue to back our manufacturers so they can create more local jobs, drive innovation and power our economy – ensuring more products are made in Victoria.” Nominations are open for 15 categories including ‘Young Manufacturer of the Year’, ‘Woman Manufacturer of the Year’ and ‘Honour Roll for Services to Industry’. Nine new awards have been introduced this year including ‘Manufacturing Apprentice’, ’Regional Manufacturer’, as well as leaders…

How are manufacturing companies and manufacturing technology service providers winning in the digitalisation race? Experience first-hand how enterprise remote access and remote support, augmented reality, and internet of things technologies accelerate digitalisation along the entire value chain for any organisation--including the eight-time F1 World Champion, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. Through hands-on technology demos, customer success stories from ANZ organisations,  thought leadership sessions, and peer networking, gain exclusive insights how companies like DHL, Coca-Cola, Wendy’s, Specsavers, The Salvation Army, Dole, Sharp, Siemens, and Airbus, among others capitalise enterprise remote connectivity solutions to optimise performance in testing, machine inspection, infrastructure maintenance, order picking, product kitting & palletising, and technician training processes—while championing team engagement, worker retention, customer satisfaction, and ROI. Don’t miss out!  Register online now at Experience Day in Melbourne (teamviewer.com) What you can expect: Immersive experience sessions on industry-proven enterprise remote connectivity technologies Success stories of organisations from industries including manufacturing, logistics, automotive, energy, F&B, and ITSM, among others Exclusive insights into the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Executive success story presentation from an Australian manufacturing and…

One of IWD’s key missions is to forge inclusive work cultures where women’s careers thrive and their achievements are celebrated. This year, the campaign centres around equity and how providing equal opportunities is no longer enough. So how do we achieve equity? At Sandvik Coromant, the number of females in functional management roles currently sits at 43%. This is above the estimated industry average, which is considered to be 38%, according to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). However, if we’re to look across the manufacturing industry, it’s clear there’s still a lot to be done to truly achieve equity. A recent report by the Manufacturing Institute found that females make up just 29% of the manufacturing workforce. Staggeringly, it also finds that 63% of women struggling to get into the field face challenges due to the sector’s lack of flexibility and almost half are deterred due to childcare issues, compared to just 8% of males.…

The Made in Victoria – Manufacturing Growth Program aims to support small and medium sized manufacturers to: — Expand their capacity and capability by implementing new manufacturing technologies. — Improve productivity and competitiveness in local and global supply chains. — Create new jobs and upskill and/or reskill workers. — Support the transition to a low carbon economy. What funding is available? Grants of between $50,000 and $250,000 are on offer on a 2:1 basis (i.e. applicants must contribute $2 for every $1 of funding from the Victorian Government). What are the eligibility criteria? To be eligible, applicants must: — Have an ABN. — Employ at least 20 FTE or have an annual turnover of greater than $1.5m. Note that preference will be given to applicants with less than 200 employees and annual turnover less than $100m. — Be able to demonstrate financial viability to undertake the project and be able to provide three years’ worth of audited financial statements. — Be currently engaged in manufacturing…

The Export Market Development Grant (EMDG) aims to support Australian SMEs to expand Australian products and services to foreign markets by providing funding for promotional activities and development of marketing skills. What are the eligibility criteria? Applicants must: — Have a turnover of less than $20 million in the prior financial year. — Be exporting or ready to export eligible goods, services, events, IP or know-how, and/or software that is of substantially Australian origin. — Be intending to incur eligible expenditure on promotional activities undertaken for the purpose of marketing eligible products overseas (excluding New Zealand). — Be able to match the grant amount awarded at least on a 1:1 basis. Important to note: The EMDG program is an eligibility-based program, which means that all eligible applicants will receive a grant from the available funding pool ($157.9 million per year). This means the grant amount an applicant receives depends on the number of eligible applications in the grant round…

The acquisition comes as part of Capral's commitment to expanding its distribution footprint to ensure it has Aluminium Trade Centres and distribution hubs strategically located throughout Australia. “The acquisition of the Allyman business is an integral part of our long-term commitment to supporting Australian trades and manufacturers with reliable access to aluminium products,” said Capral's NSW Industrial Sales Manager, Mark Murray. “Our philosophy is that wherever our customers are, they should feel that Capral Aluminium is just around the corner.” The Allyman business was established in 2012 and has actively serviced trades and manufacturers in the local area and further afield. The Allyman team have built a reputation for delivering value for money, friendly service and reliability. “The Allyman team have created a great business recognised within the region for delivering exceptional customer service. We are excited that staff from Allyman will be transitioning to Capral, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Capral business. With their local knowledge backed by our Australia-wide regional distribution network, I'm confident we can continue to grow…

Organised and run by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), AMW2023 will occupy more than 10,000 square metres of exhibition space at the MCEC, with almost 300 organisations taking stands to showcase the latest manufacturing technologies, processes, and support services. Don’t miss out!  Register online now at australianmanufacturingweek.com.au There are seven Zones on the vast floorspace of Australian Manufacturing Week, which takes up almost of the MCEC. Each zone focuses in on specific aspects of manufacturing in Australia. These include: Austech Machine Tools, sponsored by ISCAR; Additive Manufacturing Zone; Australian Manufacturers Zone, sponsored by Sutton Tools; Manufacturing Solutions Zone, sponsored by Adobe; Robotics & Automation Zone; Weld and Air Solutions Zone, sponsored by AtlasCopco; and the Plastic Technology Zone. PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY ZONE The Plastics Technology Zone is your hands-on opportunity to inspect the latest in plastics machinery, mould-making technologies, raw materials, and plastics manufacturing processes. This area will cover injection and blow moulding, extrusion, thermoforming, and compounding, mould making and tool making, raw materials and recycling, and plastic technology processes. The…

BAE Systems Australia has teamed with local industry to present Australia’s first domestically designed, manufactured and armed VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) Uncrewed Air System (UAS). STRIXTM is being developed by BAE Systems Australia and Perth-based Innovaero and launched today at the 2023 Avalon Airshow in Geelong, Australia. The collaboration brings together BAE Systems’ global expertise in autonomous platforms and its vehicle management system (VMS) technology with Innovaero’s knowledge of aeronautical product design and manufacture in the Australian market. A hybrid, tandem wing, multi-domain and multi-role UAS capability, STRIX could be used for a variety of missions including an air-to-ground strike against hostile targets and persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). It could also act as a ‘loyal wingman’ for military helicopters. Designed to carry up to a 160kg payload over 800km, STRIX will be capable of operating in high-risk environments. With a collapsed footprint of 2.6m x 4.5m, it could be easily transported in standard shipping. Its VTOL capability means STRIX could be used without relying on an airfield. It could also be operated from a helicopter to expand the mission set and protect…

Louvreclad has been helping leading architects, builders, and developers create some of Australia's most iconic buildings and precincts for over three decades. Specialising in the design, engineering, supply and installation of louvre screens and bespoke façade solutions, Louvreclad services the commercial, public, education, government and multi-residential sectors. The firm's remarkable building exteriors use innovative architectural louvre solutions to help achieve comfortable, healthy, safe and energy-efficient working and living environments. The Queensland-based business is widely recognised for setting new benchmarks for effective and sustainable façade and louvre designs and solutions for the Australian construction industry. Founded and run by the Wright family, Louvreclad has headquarters in Ipswich and project teams in Victoria and New South Wales. The business designs, engineers and fabricates everything in-house; its products are 100% Australian-made. “Aluminium is an ideal match for louvre and façade manufacture,” says Louvreclad design consultant Uddhava Sharplin. “It's one of the most sustainable building materials and is incredibly corrosion resistant. We can often design out a support structure specified in steel and replace it with aluminium. It has great strength if designed and engineered properly.” Uddhava also…