Industry analyst Frost & Sullivan has projected the total spending on ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) will hit nearly US$79 billion (A$104.2 billion) by the year 2020[1]. Within the Asia Pacific region, the manufacturing industry expected to grow the quickest, with a rapid compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 52.7 percent that started in 2015 and … Continue reading Embracing a new age in connectivity →

Over the past few decades, the manufacturing industry has undergone numerous major upheavals. Right now, we are witnessing the dawning of the next era with Industry 4.0, boosted in Asia by China’s recently announced China 2020 vision, in which they outlined plans to adopt new technologies and industries, marking a shift away from traditional manufacturing, … Continue reading The dawn of the new industrial era with the smart factory →

First there was steam power. Then electricity. Then electronics and IT. Now the fourth industrial revolution has arrived: a mix of cloud computing, generative design and additive manufacturing. Are you ready to ride the wave for what’s arguably mankind’s greatest step forward? Jim Ward writes.

According to research by Curtin University, corrosion may be costing the Australian economy more than $30 billion each year. Within industrial environments, exposure to things like water, acid or salt causes corrosion of geared motors. This, in turn, reduces the strength of the corroded parts and inevitably means they have to be replaced. In corrosive … Continue reading Corrosion is eating away at Australian industry →

In our ongoing series talking to the movers and shakers in Australian industry, we talk to Matt Hobden, the newly-minted General Manager of Atlas Copco Australia about where the local industry is heading for compressors and blowers, and what the future holds for one of the worlds’ iconic companies in that field. Manufacturers Monthly (MM): How long have you … Continue reading The environment is changing, says Atlas Copco GM →

It may sound like science fiction, but wastewater treatment plants may one day turn ordinary sewage into biocrude oil, thanks to new research at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The technology, hydrothermal liquefaction, mimics the geological conditions the Earth uses to create crude oil, using high pressure and temperature to achieve in minutes … Continue reading Making fuel out of sewage →

Digital mediation platforms and trends such as the circular economy will profoundly change the ways manufacturers operate, believes supply chain expert Jan Godsell. Brent Balinski spoke to the Warwick Manufacturing Group professor about how this could look.

Metal additive manufacturing is on the march, but despite growing interest, technologies remain slow, expensive, and limited in what they can produce. Brent Balinski spoke to Carnegie Mellon University Professor Jack Beuth about what’s being done to change this, and what to expect from 2017.

All over the world, ageing populations and changing attitudes are making it harder to hold on to workers, believes Dr Rodney Brooks. Brent Balinski spoke to Brooks, founder of Rethink Robotics, about some demographic and technology shifts to watch out for and why it’s best to be realistic.

Energy management technologies are being adopted by companies these days with rising costs, stricter regulations and the desire to have a sustainable image.
Syed Shah looks at some of these trends.

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) looks set to double down on its failed strategy in its appointment of new president Grant King.

A frequently-used case study on what Australian advanced manufacturing encompasses – including a global mindset, high-value products and sophisticated technology – ANCA is a local manufacturers’ manufacturer. Co-founder Pat Boland told Brent Balinski a few things about what guides the company’s approach to innovation.

Lean leadership is a key element of lean manufacturing and provides a framework for maximising the value of temporary employees. Standardising leadership of temporarily employed people can transform the effort and effectiveness of each individual.

Despite the well publicised closure of some manufacturing sectors in Australia, manufacturing isn’t dying. Instead, like industry around the world, it’s undergoing a period of significant change as new, disruptive technologies and economic realities take hold and new markets emerge.

US President-elect Donald Trump made an election promise to cut the US federal corporate tax rate from the current 35% to 15%. A somewhat more modest proposal is under way in Australia.

President-elect Donald Trump is right: The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a damaging deal and deserves to be killed off.

A water treatment company is expanding its zero discharge filtration systems into the municipal sector.

Australian businesses with links to the United States will be slowly digesting the recent Trump victory and how it might play out. It’s extremely difficult to predict, but in the meantime there are strategies businesses can pursue.

Spreading the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies among Australian manufacturers is vital to lifting their international competitiveness, according to the Australian Manufacturing Growth Centre. Brent Balinski spoke to the group’s chair, Andrew Stevens, about a new partnership aimed at encouraging this adoption.

Normal alloy steels have various elements added in small quantities to improve their material strength, hardenability, temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and other properties. Any level of carbon can be combined with these alloying elements.