Industry News

The NSW Government has just launched the Future Industries Investment Program, aimed at increasing productivity in the NSW economy and maximising the benefits of investment across NSW. The Program will focus on attracting and growing innovative, high-growth businesses in priority industries and driving productivity growth in emerging high-value technologies, such as digital technology, medical technology, and the clean economy. Up to $30m will be available in grant funding under the Program. For projects located in Western Parkland City, an additional $4.75m is available in grant funding from the Western Sydney Investment Attraction Fund. Applicants seeking assistance from the Program may be eligible for project expense rebates, paid to the applicant on audited accounts of pre-approved project expenses. To ensure the maximum impact of the Program, the Department of Enterprise, Investment, and Trade may seek to negotiate the types and quantum of support, and the components of any final support package will be at the discretion of the Minister. To find out if your business is eligible start the application process today. Applications are now open and close at 5pm AEDT Friday…

The three-pronged principle of the Multi-Master family was based on the face contact between a carbide head and tool, centring the head by use of a short taper, and securing the head in the tool body by use of a threaded connection. It was the last of these three elements that benchmarked the connection of carbide heads in assembled tools. The successful design of the thread, made of hard brittle carbide, enabled fast and simple head replacements and created the easy-to-use tool that features ISCAR's no setup time phenomenon. The threaded connection quickly found its way into various tool assembly systems with exchangeable carbide heads, now an industry standard. At first, the Multi-Master line was intended specifically for milling in the Die and Mold industry. Soon after, the automotive, aerospace, and general machinery industries adopted ISCAR's Multi-Master in their production processes. Milling remains the focus of the Multi-Master line, which now lends itself to drilling applications as well. The Multi-Master line has greatly expanded, and now covers a broad…

Additive Assurance, a leader in quality assurance for additive manufacturing, today announced the successful completion of a $4.1m funding round as it pushes forward with its international expansion plan. The round was led by Significant Capital Ventures (SCV) and supported by Hostplus alongside existing shareholders IP Group Australia and Monash Investment Holdings. The new investment will support growth initiatives, including the establishment of an Additive Manufacturing quality assurance centre of excellence at its Melbourne headquarters, and the expansion of research and development and international business development teams. Additive Assurance has developed AMiRIS, a world-leading solution for quality assurance of 3D-printed metal parts, based on technology originally developed at Monash University. AMiRIS allows manufacturers to ensure the structural integrity of components as they are being made and correct any anomalies when they occur. Additive Assurance is working with leading global customers in the aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries to enable the use of 3D-printed parts in serial production. “We are delighted to receive the support of SCV and existing investors to underpin our continued expansion,” said Marten Jurg, co-founder and CEO of Additive…

In an important milestone for securing access to mRNA vaccines and enhancing medical research and development in Australia, global biotech Moderna has commenced construction of its new manufacturing facility at Monash University’s Clayton campus in Melbourne’s southeast. Construction work comes less than four months after Monash was selected as the site for the new facility that was first announced in March as part of a ten-year strategic partnership between Moderna and the Federal and Victorian governments. It will be Moderna’s first manufacturing site to be built in the Southern Hemisphere and the first to be built on a university campus. The facility is expected to open in 2024, subject to regulatory approvals, and will produce up to 100 million vaccine doses each year, including vaccines for COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Located within the Monash Technology Precinct, at the corner of Blackburn and Wellington Roads, the facility will join a host of world-leading research and technology facilities already established in the precinct, including CSIRO, Australian Synchrotron, Victorian Heart Hospital, and Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication. Monash University President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret…

Taking its industry-leading turning technology to a new level, Nakamura-Tome has now introduced the new JX-200 multi-tasking mill/turn centre. The JX-200 incorporates Nakamura’s new NT Smart Cube - the world’s shortest tool spindle in its class. This provides a compact footprint with a spacious work area and unrivalled kinematics that drastically improve machining performance. Nakamura has recognised the increased need of industry to manufacture smaller batch sizes with higher flexibility. With customers wanting ‘more flexible machining’ and ‘higher part production’ rates with a single machine, the JX-200 is the solution. This new machine can accommodate a larger number of tools and this delivers unrivalled flexibility for handling multiple types of low-quantity production. The impressive new JX-220 is a twin-spindle machine with an upper tool spindle that swivels +/-95 degrees to provide exceptional flexibility. This unit has an impressive 15/11kW power output and a 12,000rpm spindle with an 18,000rpm spindle as an option. The upper tool spindle has an 80-position tool carousel as standard with 40 or 120 tools as optional extras. On the lower tooling turret as standard is milling capability and also Y-axis machining.…

The Australian Government hopes an advocate will help grow local manufacturing of safe, fast, and sustainable rail. Assistant Minister for Manufacturing Tim Ayres said the Rail Supplier Advocate and the Office of National Rail Industry Coordination (ONRIC) will advise the Government on the Australian rail industry and the most effective strategies to back Australian manufacturing. “Australia’s railways have been a core part of our national story since Federation, and they employ more than 50,000 people today,” Assistant Minister Ayres said. “High-quality Australian rail manufacturing should be part of our vision to reduce emissions, secure supply chains, and put Australian research and innovation to work. “The Rail Supplier Advocate will be an important part of the National Rail Manufacturing Plan – the plan will support skilled manufacturing jobs and support more trains being built here in Australia. The Advocate will support small to medium-sized enterprises and manufacturers to seize export opportunities, market their products to government, and champion sectoral initiatives to improve competitiveness.” Assistant Minister Ayres said the recruitment process will commence in the coming days. “I want the very best person for this role…

Fleet Space, Australia’s only commercial small satellite manufacturer, has partnered with Konica Minolta to implement 3D printers from 3D Systems to support Fleet Space’s groundbreaking innovation, which aims to bring manufacturing for the space, strategic, and mineral exploration industries back onshore. The 3D printer will also scale up Fleet Space’s manufacturing of small satellites for low Earth orbit to connect billions of devices. Fleet Space is leading the way in innovative manufacturing for the space, strategic, and mineral exploration industries. With production in Australia co-funded by the South Australian Government, Fleet Space focuses on using cutting edge communications and space technologies to enable the next giant leap in human civilisation. The small satellites from Fleet Space incorporate the world’s first 3D-printed, all-metal patch antenna, which delivers 10 times more throughput per kilogram of spacecraft. The 3D printing of these antennae was outsourced to an offshore provider; however, significant scale-up efficiencies can be found in bringing production to Australia. Fleet Space has been contracted to scale its operations significantly in 2022 and 2023 and needed a more efficient way…

Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW2023) will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 9-12 May 2023. 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 more than 274 organisations taking stands to showcase the latest manufacturing technologies, processes, and support services. AUSTECH MACHINE TOOLS ZONE AUSTECH has been the cornerstone of AMTIL’s success for over 20 years. This iconic Machine Tools Zone now forms an integral part of AMW 2023. AUSTECH is specifically targeted at the metalworking, machine tool, and ancillary market in Australia. AUSTECH covers advanced manufacturing products and processes including: CNC Machinery, Lathes, Mills Contract Manufacturing/Precision Machining Cutting Tools, Tooling & Tool Holding Forming & Fabricating Machines Plasma, Laser, Waterjet & Ultrasonic Machines Ancillary equipment suppliers Sponsored by ISCAR ISCAR Australia is a high-profile producer in the Australian metal-working sector. As well as sponsoring the AUSTECH MACHINE TOOLS ZONE, ISCAR is a producer of innovative cutting tools for metalworking, including turning, grooving, milling, hole-making,…

You've landed back home after visiting your offshore oil rig when you realise you need to set up a meeting with that drilling rig assessor. Her email address is written on a Post-It Note and stuck to the PC monitor... back on the rig. Wouldn't it be handy to call up a remote view, virtually walking right up to your desk to read the Post-It Note just like you’re walking through a videogame environment? That's exactly what Perth company RemSense can deliver. After starting in 2012 as a drone operator for Western Australian resources clients, a decade of technical experience has opened the door to opportunities with a range of clients across industries from mining to airports and everything in between. That's why founder and CEO Steve Brown describes RemSense as a technology development company more than just an imaging business (more below). But giving customers the best possible access to remote facilities is still a cornerstone of what he and his team do. Using magnetospheric or multispectral readings, LIDAR (light detection and ranging –…

The supply and labour constraints afflicting the Australian economy continue to create challenges for the manufacturing sector. According to the Australian Industry Group (AIG), the Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) dropped by 1.5 points to 52.5 in July. With production and employment both falling, it’s clear that manufacturers are struggling with the impact of chronic labour shortages and supply chain interruptions, leading many to reevaluate their processes to drive efficiency. An ongoing challenge While many might have hoped for a more positive year, 2022 continues to challenge manufacturers. In fact, business groups across Australia have raised concerns about a shortfall of skilled workers across a number of critical industries such as health, trades, manufacturing and tech, amid historically low unemployment rates. In August the NSW skills minister, Alister Henskens, went as far as describing the critical workforce shortages as a “handbrake” on the state’s economy. Against this backdrop, a growing number of manufacturers are considering implementing specialist technology, not only to minimise downtime but to also prevent their…

Omega Sinto is a global manufacturer of chemically bonded sand equipment used in the foundry/metal casting industry. Originally established in the UK, Omega Sinto now operates around the world offering a wide range of products which includes sand mixers, mould-handling equipment, core-making machines, shakeouts, sand reclamation plants, coating plants, and more. Leussink Sales and Marketing Manager, Stuart Ward, says that the partnership with Omega Sinto takes Leussink into a new area of Australian manufacturing. “Under our new partnership, we will supply Omega Sinto’s equipment off-the-shelf, but provide installation and modifications where required,” he said. “After joining Leussink last year I began to look at new business opportunities and approached Omega Sinto. My professional background is in the foundry industry so it made sense for me to look at that area.” “At the time I began speaking with them about fabrication and engineering work, the local business manager they had in place had decided to retire so they needed new representation in Australia and New Zealand. It fell into place from there,” added Ward. Omega Sinto has almost…

Every manufactured product you can think of, from the coffee you have first thing in the morning and the cereal you eat for breakfast, to the computer you use at work, the train home in the evening, and the car waiting at the station, and even the couch you sit on to watch your television with a glass of wine – they are all made by machines that were made by machine tools. Think about that... just the coffee beans alone require a coffee bean harvester, washing and screening equipment, dry processing, roasting, hulling, polishing, sorting and grading processes. Each one of these processes requires equipment that has significant machining and fabrication work to produce it. And that’s just the coffee beans. So if you have your coffee with milk and sugar, multiply all those processes by three, and then include the machine that you have sitting in your kitchen that now allows you to push a button and the coffee is produced. Whilst we may take making a coffee for…

Minister Husic said at his National Press Club Address that manufacturers are already some of the country’s biggest investors in research and development. Currently, the manufacturing sector makes up almost 30% of total R&D expenditure through the government’s R&D Tax Incentive. “The science ecosystem is a broad one, spanning the lab bench to the board room to the factory floor,” he said. “We need to support it, and sustain it, from basic research at the lab bench to new industrial uses and technologies. To this end, we have kicked off a consultation to revitalise Australia’s science priorities.” The Federal Government’s review of the Australian Research Council and the development of a Universities Accord, is led by Ed Husic, and Jason Clare, Minister for Education. As part of their new science and technology pipeline, the government has a goal of generating up to 1.2 million tech-related jobs in Australia by 2030. The Minister mentioned at the NPC address that, “there are already more software engineers and developers in Australia than there are hairdressers…