February 2, 2021
Industry News
Industry news
AMTIL actively keeps members up to date with the latest industry news and relevant economic announcements, with Industry News items posted on the AMTIL Industry News website. The Industry News is updated daily, either promoting late-breaking manufacturing industry news or republishing feature stories from AMT magazine.
February 2, 2021
Maximise Your Membership events will be held around the country in February. Offering an opportunity to learn about AMTIL’s latest initiatives as well as mingle with contacts from across the industry, these events are free to AMTIL members and will include finger food and drinks. Brisbane, QLD: Tues 16 Feb, 6.00pm – 8.30pm Sydney, NSW: Wed 17 Feb, 6.00pm – 8.30pm Melbourne, VIC: Thurs 18 Feb, 6.00pm – 8.30pm Adelaide, SA: Tues 23 Feb, 6.00pm – 8.30pm Perth, WA: Wed 24 Feb, 6.00pm – 8.30pm Given the ongoing possibility of further COVID-19 outbreaks, appropriate measures will be in place at all upcoming AMTIL events to ensure they are conducted safely. Moreover, AMTIL may be forced to make changes to scheduled events at short notice. Anyone planning to attend should register in advance and be on the lookout for updates from AMTIL. “We are taking all possible steps to ensure that AMTIL members can attend, confident of the fact they’re in a safe environment,” says Kim Banks, Head of Events at AMTIL. “That means having…
February 2, 2021
Despite a deluge of information on the dangers of skin cancer over the last few decades, Australia remains a global skin cancer hotspot, with mortality rates continuing to rise. Medical authorities have long stated that early detection is key to preventing its proliferation, yet it appears not enough is being done to reverse the numbers. And with many Australians not regularly getting skin checks after hours, there are calls for Australian manufacturing businesses to lead the charge and set up skin testing at work, in the same way that many businesses organise flu injections. As the most common cancer affecting working-age Australians between 15 and 39 years old, workplace health expert Kristina Billings says “when you consider the amount of Australians, affected by this each year, the workplace really is the best place to start”. A former employee of food distribution company Monde Nissin is just one example of how workplace skin checks can be ultimately life saving. In 2019, the company organised for a workplace health program to…
February 2, 2021
The annual prize is one of world’s most prestigious awards given to scientists who’ve helped to make significant advances in the fields of science and technology worldwide, thus furthering the cause of peace and prosperity of mankind. Each year two fields of scientific endeavour are honoured. Professor Green, who is Director of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) at UNSW Sydney, was recognised on 29 January for his work in developing high-efficiency silicon photovoltaic devices. “It’s a privilege to receive this award, which serves as a reminder that the quest for inexpensive, renewable energy is a global quest seeking to sustain the trajectory of human civilization on our shared planet,” Professor Green said. “I’d like to pay tribute to the thousands of solar researchers who have worked in the field for many years, including those at UNSW and elsewhere who have helped not just make PERC [solar cells] a reality but solar now the…
February 1, 2021
Six of the seven activity indices in the Australian PMI expanded in December 2020 and January 2021 (readings above 50 points indicate expansion in activity, with higher results indicating a faster rate of expansion), with only the sales index contracting (down 4.2 points to 46.5). The exports index jumped into strong expansion (up 11.4 points to 61.4), driven by exports of food & beverages. The input price index eased slightly over the holiday period (down 0.2 points to 64.4), indicating marginally slower price increases on average, while selling prices remained stable (up 1.2 points to 50.8). The average wages index (down 3.8 points to 56.4) eased below its long-run average (58.6 points) after rising sharply in November in response to increases to manufacturing award pay rates. “In December and January Australian manufacturing continued to make up ground lost during much of 2020,” said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox. “Production, employment and…
January 28, 2021
Proudly owned and operated by AMTIL, Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) is Australia’s premier manufacturing solutions event. Co-located with Austech, AMTIL’s longstanding advanced manufacturing and machine tool expo, the inaugural edition of AMW will take place at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 8-11 March 2022. As the largest event covering manufacturing and engineering scheduled to be held in this country, AMW 2022 promises to be an unmissable highlight of next year’s Australian manufacturing industry calendar. With significant advanced interest from industry since AMW was first announced last July, the opening of bookings marks a major milestone in preparations for the show. Organisations considering participating are strongly advised to contact AMTIL promptly to secure their place. “We are excited to announce that Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) is now open for stand bookings,” said Kim Banks, AMW Exhibition Manager and Head of Events at AMTIL. “With a strict cap on available space for 2022, exhibitors may find themselves jostling for a position as the postponement of several exhibitions in…
January 28, 2021
JC Butko was set up 44 years ago by John and Carolyn Butko. Born to Ukrainian immigrant parents, John Butko serves his apprenticeship as a fitter and turner in Melbourne before returning to Wodonga and joining Milos Metrol & Sons. In 1972, he was named as Albury & Wodonga’s top apprentice. Soon afterwards, John rented a small shed in Kendall Street, Wodonga, and began investing heavily in machinery, including a lathe, guillotine and a set of rollers. The rest is history. Now employing 128 tradespersons and 30 contractors, the team at JC Butko consists of boilermakers, sheet metal workers, pipe welders, fitter/machinists and apprentices. The management team comprises project managers, mechanical engineers, certifying engineers, project supervisors, estimators, drafting personnel, quality assurance, health, safety & wellness, and administration. A significant part of JC Butko’s recent growth…
January 28, 2021
The Member of the Order of Australia is awarded to an individual who has contributed to service worthy of specific recognition. Over more than 25 years, Matthews has dedicated his career at RUAG Australia to researching and developing innovative aerospace component repair technology solutions. “Today, we congratulate Neil on his outstanding achievement of being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia,” said Terry Miles, General Manager RUAG Australia. “Leading the way in component repair and coating technologies and making them accessible on behalf of our Defence Industry customers is a mission Neil and RUAG have followed consistently and continue to share. We are pleased to have Neil’s work recognised for the valuable contribution it creates for our customers.” Matthews holds an aeronautical engineering degree and a Master of Science in Aircraft Design. He has been involved in Military Aircraft Engineering support for over 45 years, both as a serving air force officer and then in the commercial and military…
January 28, 2021
Following the success of its Port Pirie venture, Bentley’s Cabin Parks will soon be opening its new fully self-contained accommodation park at Port Augusta. Part of the Bentley Group, the cabin park division was first set up in 1995 when Hayden Bentley, founder and Managing Director, set up four cabins inspired by his travels around Australia with his family. Bentley Group is a diversified business that is involved in farming, hospitality and construction. The new cabins for the Port Augusta site are being built at the company-owned construction yards based in South Australia. To transport those cabins, Hayden recently invested in a new Freighter Drop Deck Semi with ramps, from MaxiTRANS. “We have bought aluminium tippers from MaxiTRANS previously and in February we picked up a new multi-purpose Freighter Drop Deck Semi trailer,” said…
January 28, 2021
Persist and you will succeed, we are told. But how true is this? Does persistence really win in the end? I have always lived by a saying I coined many years ago: “Persistence is an important element of success; Persistence is an essential element of failure.” The underlying thinking here is that if the idea is fundamentally bad, no amount of persistence will make it good. Worse still, many are so enamoured with their ideas that they invest heavily in patents only to then fail and go broke at the same time. Persistence needs to be moderated with a high degree of common sense and objectivity, and the ability to let go and know when to stop. It’s not a failure if you stop before it’s too late. It is a failure if you persist beyond the point of sensibility. Having said that, capturing and holding the nub of a good…
January 25, 2021
Carel and Muriel Leussink founded Leussink in 1977, initially operating out of a humble home garage in Unanderra, New South Wales. Today it is a second-generation family business offering complete design, fabrication and machining services and solutions for clients over a wide spectrum of industries. It prides itself on delivering world-leading after-sales service, maintaining close client liaison to ensure expectations are met or exceeded on each job. It is equally renowned for machining bespoke components, fabrication or projects manufactured to turnkey operational level, leveraging years of skills and experience. “At Leussink we genuinely believe in local manufacturing,” says Jason Leussink, the company’s Managing Director. “Of course, in our industry, it is not always possible to buy 100% Australian made materials, but where we can, we do buy Australian and support other organisations that have the same philosophy.” The company’s boasts a wide range of capabilities including CNC machining, milling and turning, wire cutting, surface grinding, design, metal fabrication,…
January 25, 2021
The National Circular Economy Roadmap found innovation is crucial to realising Australia’s largest economic gains, which will come from designing new products and materials, including through advanced manufacturing, and in embracing new business models that will create domestic and export markets for waste streams. This could more than triple job creation from resource recovery in Australia, where the recycling sector currently generates 9.2 jobs per 10,000 tonnes of waste, compared with only 2.8 jobs for the same amount of waste sent to landfill. Increasing Australia’s recovery rate by just 5% would add an estimated $1bn to GDP. The Australian Government’s ban on the export of waste last year creates an opportunity for a new circular economy strategy that turns landfill into economic returns. CSIRO Chief Executive, Dr Larry Marshall, said science and technology can drive Australia’s next wave of economic opportunities. “Australia is among the world’s best in advanced manufacturing and environmental research, and that unique science can turn industry and…
January 25, 2021
According to power and automation company ABB, the addition of a VSD can reduce energy consumption by as much as 60%. This means that, if a 90kW motor in continuous operation is combined with a VSD, financial savings can amass to over $16,000 per year. A VSD can help achieve these savings by better catering for the needs of a specific application. Traditionally, induction motors run at fixed speeds and are suited to applications that require a constant motor output speed, such as in pumps or fans. Yet sometimes, varying motor output speeds are preferable to meet the changing requirements of the load, such as in fans, pumps and precision tools. Also known as a frequency converter or adjustable speed drive, a VSD is able to control the speed and torque of the motor to better match the process requirements of the machine it is driving. It is the…