Industry News

Pact Group, a leader in packaging, reuse and recycling, has converted $420m of loan facilities into a sustainability-linked loan (SLL), the first transaction of its kind in Australia’s manufacturing sector. Charles Davis, CBA’s Managing Director Sustainable Finance and ESG, said “We are proud to support Pact coming to market with the first sustainability-linked loan in Australia’s manufacturing sector, and one that looks to drive meaningful change, not only within Pact’s own operations, but also across the manufacturing sector more broadly.” “Pact’s transaction is a great example of how multiple targets under one KPI theme can be used by a company to drive internal and external outcomes. Pact's recycling target not only focuses on increasing recycled content in Pact's portfolio, but also seeks to increase the amount of recycled material processed on an industry-wide basis, helping to further develop the local circular economy.” The SLL incentivises four key performance indicators: increasing the percentage of recycled content in Pact packaging; increasing the amount of recycled material processed and distributed to the external market, reducing scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions and gender pay equality.…

An international leader in home intelligence and real-time smart electricity monitoring, Sense is setting up operations in Australia to help the country achieve Net Zero emissions sooner. Michael Jary, the International Managing Director for Sense, announced the establishment of a local operation in Australia within a year, where the company sees strong potential for its AI technology to be embedded with the next generation of smart energy meters. Sense will establish local electricity retailing and manufacturing partners for its AI technology that uses machine-learning algorithms to analyse high-resolution electricity data, providing a breakdown of individual domestic electricity consumption to an appliance level in real-time. “Whilst first generation smart meters have made huge strides in digitising the energy sector, they have not fulfilled their true potential. With an excessive focus on the unit cost of the meter alone, these first wave devices could have done much more,” says Jary. “But second wave meters can and must do so much more. They will be affixed to walls until 2040 so they need to be future-proofed.” Sense technology, which can be embedded into…

This major project will demonstrate how ocean energy can solve end-users’ energy challenges. The two-stage project will start with an online platform to help match markets to energy solutions. The second phase will see a pilot-scale, offshore integrated grid system developed near Albany. A visionary, WA-based project has been unveiled as part of a bold step-change to accelerate the adoption of integrated ocean energy. Launched in early May at the Australian Ocean Energy Group’s Market Summit in Hobart, the feasibility study will look into developing a two-stage Integrated Ocean Energy Marketplace (IOEM). The first stage will feature a digital platform and knowledge base, used to model various integrated renewable energy systems and to propose bespoke energy solutions for ’blue economy’ market users. The second stage will see the development of a physical, visitable marketplace situated near Albany, showcasing an integrated ocean energy microgrid, which will enable these market customers to see, interact with and gather real-time information about ocean energy solutions. Driven by the Australian Ocean Energy Group (AOEG) cluster, which was established with support from NERA (National Energy Resources Australia)…

Prior to forging a career in tech, Aliza Knox spent decades as a global finance and consulting executive and is now a Board Director as well as a Senior Advisor for Boston Consulting Group. Awarded 2020 APAC IT Woman of The Year, she has recently launched her new book titled ‘Don’t Quit Your Day Job’. AMT:  What drove you to write ‘Don’t Quit Your Day Job’? Aliza Knox:  I’ve been doing a lot of casual mentoring via one-off coffees. If there’s one idea I learned from tech, it’s that things need to be scalable. Also, I don’t really like coffee. So I thought I’d write down a lot of what I share in these sessions.  In the climate of #TheGreatResignation, many people believe they need to quit their jobs to get what they want. I don’t think that’s always the case, so I want to explain my views on how to get what you need from…

The Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL) is releasing more information about Australian Manufacturing Week 2023, to be held in Melbourne next May. Proudly owned and operated by AMTIL, Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) is Australia’s premier manufacturing solutions event. AMTIL’s longstanding advanced manufacturing expo, AMW2023 will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 9 to 12 May 2023. The Additive Manufacturing Zone will spotlight the latest advances in 3D printing. It includes Additive Manufacturing users, suppliers, and supporters. The process of 3D printing was first patented by Charles Hull in 1986, as stereolithography, and the additive manufacturing industry began as a ‘rapid prototyping process’. The innovations brought about by this technology have been ground-breaking. Today the precision, repeatability, and material range of 3D printing has extended its use into boat and building construction, through to nanotech. The Australian Manufacturers Pavilion is sponsored by Sutton Tools, and showcases the capabilities of Australia’s precision engineering and advanced manufacturing industry. The Australian Manufacturers Pavilion is where AMW celebrates the very best in Australian manufacturing, providing a showcase for some…

Matthew Holloway has been Managing Director at the Holloway Group for over a decade now, working his way through the business from being a die setter on the factory floor to the organisation’s leading executive. Under his vision and guidance, the company has expanded from a single business entity, specialising in the manufacturing of plastic storage containers, to a portfolio of seven brands and now a major player in the recycled plastics, sustainability, and innovation arenas.   AMT: So, tell us the Matt Holloway story. Matt Holloway: The Holloway Group is effectively a family-owned organisation. My old man was a tool maker by trade, back in the eighties. And as tool maker, he bought an injection moulding machine and started to contract-mould stuff for a bunch of different clients, from swizzle sticks for cocktails, right through to thong straps. Straight out of school, I did civil engineering and hated it. Didn't know what I wanted to do for quite some time. And then, I jumped in the…

Energy’s centrality to Australia’s economic growth is well recognised, and the importance of securing an uninterrupted energy supply vital for numerous local businesses where hydrocarbon processing is part of their supply chain. Examples of hydrocarbon processing are found in the compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquified natural gas (LNG) sectors. Specialty gases as utilised in the hydrocarbon process for safety, process control and compliance, have historically been imported into Australia, however, global supply chain issues are now affecting Australian companies that have traditionally relied on overseas suppliers. Steps to safeguard supply security include generating awareness of domestic specialty gas production to ensure a more energy-secure future for Australian businesses. Coregas is the only Australian industrial gases company manufacturing locally and distributing specialty gases throughout Australia and New Zealand, including calibration gases, chemical gases, process gases, purging/inerting gases, electronic gases and instrumentation gases. “No other sector Coregas serves has such a diverse and precise range of requirements, and we have invested many years in developing our quality product range, certification, expertise and responsiveness to serve the needs…

RMIT University engineers collaborated with Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) to reveal a bitumen blend that is both UV-resistant and withstands traffic loads, with the potential to save governments millions on road maintenance annually. Unlike much outdoor infrastructure – such as playground equipment and outdoor furniture – roads are not designed with any sun protection, making them prone to cracking and potentially unsafe to drive on. Australian states and territories spent nearly $2.9bn on road maintenance in 2019–2020, according to the National Transport Commission. The invention also provides a promising sustainable solution to Australia’s used-tyre crisis. Used tyres in Australia have been subject to an export ban since December 2020, which means new methods for recycling and reprocessing them locally is increasingly important. While research efforts have focused on improving the durability of roads in terms of traffic load, thermal ageing and weather-related events, sun damage has received little attention – until now. The new study led by Associate Professor Filippo Giustozzi at RMIT University provides a sustainable solution to UV…

SS Engineering Services Pty Ltd first opened its doors in 2009. It is located in Kensington, Bundaberg and has steadily developed over the years. The treasured family business has just commissioned its third Okuma machine a GENOS M660 Vertical Machining centre with OSP300MA Control. Okuma was the machine of choice with reliability and accuracy the principle factors. Owner, Scott Svensson had worked on Okuma machines during his apprenticeship and knew how reliable and accurate they were and this has become more important given the clients the company has established over the past thirteen years. Providing clients with engineering services including CNC Turning and CNC Milling, fabrication, product development, prototype design and reverse engineering plus general engineering services, the company today services a diverse range of clients. These include mining, agriculture, aviation, horticulture, earthmoving, automotive, medical, also the renewable energy sector plus general engineering. Svensson and his team also take full advantage of the 12 months’ unlimited training offered by Okuma and the Queensland Okuma team provide fast and reliable service from their Brisbane base. “My engineers know the Okuma machines well…

Space Machines Company (SMC), the Australian in-space transportation and logistics startup, has secured the support of SpaceX as a launch partner to carry its Optimus Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) to space as part of its April 2023 mission. SMC's Optimus OTV is one of the largest commercial spacecraft designed and manufactured in Australia. It is a testament to the innovation of Australia's space tech sector and the sovereign capability being built by SMC. The 2023 mission will demonstrate the 270kg Optimus OTV’s ability to deliver in-space logistics services and will reinforce SMC’s strategy as a last-mile delivery services provider. The 2023 mission will also see SMC deploy solutions for foundation customers. The Optimus spacecraft’s assembly and integration will occur at the Space Machines Company facility within the University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS) Tech Lab and will demonstrate Australian sovereign access to space capability. More than 6,000 active and inactive satellites are currently in orbit, and by 2030, there will be more than 100,000. Space will increasingly need infrastructure and logistics services to support and manage the exponential…

Centor Global Services is a Brisbane-based private company with a global reach. They manufacture high-end doors, screening systems and door hardware for the housing market world-wide. They manufacture their products at factories around the world, but when it comes to the technical components, they create them quickly on the Markforged 3D printers at a press of a button. Set among industrial roads, railways and overpasses, Centor’s office is an oasis in a lot of respects. Maybe it was quieter 70years ago when the Centor office opened, but there is a respectable calm about the place when AMT visited just after the Sydney AMW show in June. Dave Chappell, Group Manager, Product and Engineering for Centor Global Services showed us through the facilities. Centor's in-house Product Design Centre is responsible for the design and testing of products available around the world. Centor was the first to come up with designs to make folding doors weather-proof and strong enough for external openings. “That was the mid-90s,” explains Chappell. “Ten years ago we set up distribution in…

First came the use of energy sources—water then steam—to power manufacturing processes, which required a consolidation around these energy sources. Then came the great efficiency gains from the streamlining of manufacturing processes—the assembly line—followed by automation and control, thanks to the development and deployment of digital technologies. The latest revolution, industry 4.0, takes that one step further by turning the flow of digital information into a two-way street: data is used to control the manufacturing process, and is collected and analysed to improve efficiency and detect problems.   The challenge to anticipate malfunctions There is one common denominator to all four phases. The operators of manufacturing systems and processes strive to anticipate and if possible, prevent any malfunction of production machinery that will compromise product quality or interrupt production. It’s not good to discover a machine has been producing malformed widgets after it has created a few hundred. In industry 1.0 and 2.0, the ability to do this was limited and…

Onshore manufacturing of life-saving mRNA vaccines took a major step forward on Monday, with the Australian Government, Moderna and the Victorian Government finalising all arrangements for the ten-year partnership. Under these new agreements, an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility will be built at Monash University, helping protect Australians against future pandemics, supporting local industry and creating highly skilled local jobs. Moderna will also establish its headquarters and a Regional Research Centre in Victoria. Once operational, the facility will be able to produce up to 100 million vaccine doses every year. Once this critical onshore mRNA capability is established, Australia will reduce its dependence on imported mRNA vaccines and our vulnerability to supply disruptions or delays. It will give Australians local and ongoing access to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine – Spikevax – and give us an onshore mRNA manufacturing capability in the event of a new pandemic, such as avian influenza or another new pathogen, vaccine-resistant COVID-19 variants or a global resurgence of infections. The partnership will lead to a world-class mRNA ecosystem based in Melbourne, attract highly skilled staff and expand local capability through joint…