Automobility is on a mission to change people’s lives. Starting from humble beginnings in 2001, the company has grown to become an industry leader in Wheelchair Access Vehicle (WAV) conversions. Working from a manufacturing facility in Montrose, Victoria, the Automobility team works with local suppliers and contractors to build wheelchair access vehicles for a wide … Continue reading Enabling Life’s Journey →

Despite the challenges of 2020 and the undeniable negative impact of COVID-19, the world has seen a rapid adoption of digital technologies over the past six months. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, noted in April that due to the pandemic the business saw two years’ worth of digital transformation in just two months. More recently, … Continue reading Accelerating Industry 4.0 uptake: five messages for SMEs →

Confoil, an Australian owned and operated packaging manufacturer offers a range of food packaging products – both standard and customised – across a broad range of sectors. Confoil produces over 350 kinds of foil food-packaging items, supplies across a range of industries including food manufacturers, retail and commercial foodservice, defence, and healthcare. It also offers … Continue reading Sullair’s flexible managed air power solution for a COVID-impacted Australian food packaging manufacturer, Confoil →

Caroline Tung finds out how the NSW government’s Innovation Districts Challenge is boosting commercialisation for products such as IoT-enabled technologies. The New South Wales state government’s first Innovation Districts Challenge is now underway and is designed to assist small-to-medium-sized businesses accelerate the commercialisation of products to counter the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Eleven universities across … Continue reading Helping innovative small businesses fast-track commercialisation →

Lorch South Pacific managing director, David Wilton, speaks about the benefits of using advanced technology to improve commercial outcomes in the Australian welding industry. David Wilton is determined to help every manufacturer in Australia gain big data access for their welding business. A career welding industry professional with more than three decades of experience working … Continue reading Understanding the welding equation in the age of Industry 4.0 →

The trade of welding conjures up images of dirty, dark workshops full to the brim with traditional tools and machinery prone to throwing off sparks and fumes. But, with the advent of automation, robots, co-bots and a range of other advanced welding technologies, this perception is becoming more and more outdated. Welding is a far … Continue reading Welding 4.0: The future of industry →

The government’s response to the pandemic has highlighted the central role of manufacturing in recovering from this event and its importance in bolstering Australia’s economic resilience. What are the long-term trends in manufacturing and the impact of COVID-19 on the industry? Manufacturing employment: long-term trends in Australia Australian manufacturing employment peaked at 1.46 million in … Continue reading Manufacturing jobs in Australia: long-term trends and the impact of COVID-19 →

It’s been a rollercoaster couple of months for manufacturing in Australia, with the Australian Government promising over $1.5 billion to modernise the sector and create new markets and industries to accelerate the COVID-19 recovery, with many organisations already re-tooling their operations to produce new products. This is an exciting time for Australia’s manufacturing future. It’s … Continue reading Balancing robotic risks and rewards in manufacturing →

Renowned theoretical physicist, Michio Kaku, once said: “What we usually consider as impossible, are simply engineering problems.” As the managing director of RTM Engineering, a family-owned, multi-faceted engineering company based in Bowen, North Queensland, Russell Mayhew shares the same opinion. “I don’t like the throw-away society of today,” he says. “Anything that’s broken, can be … Continue reading Born to fix the ‘impossible’ →

Air compressors have been used on farms for decades, but as the air compressor manufacturing technologies and their energy efficiencies improve, more agricultural businesses are realising the full scope of benefits that can be derived from adopting air compressors across their operations, for crop production, transport or general farm maintenance. One such business is a … Continue reading Almond orchard sees Peerless benefits →

Atlas Copco is launching the AIRCUBE Containerised Compressor Room in December. Manufacturers’ Monthly speaks to specialist projects engineer, Pasquale Masi about this all-in-one solution for manufacturers. The AIRCUBE Containerised Compressor Room from Atlas Copco is a plug-and-play solution for companies that are planning to build their own compressor rooms or for companies that don’t have … Continue reading Atlas Copco to introduce plug-and-play compressed air solution →

LINAK actuators play a key part in the automated sprayers by Victoria-based manufacturer, OZmist, who is paving the way for high-pressure misting systems within a range of environments. In many areas of the world, dust clouds can pose a severe challenge on the factory floor. The Australian enterprise OZmist, based in Wangaratta in the north-east … Continue reading OZmist fosters local innovation in dust prone environments →

How often are you presented with proposals for investigation, monitoring and remediation programs that focus on generic criteria rather than on the risks posed to your site and surrounding environment? Do you question whether the additional work will help to achieve an outcome for your business? Golder Associates technical director and principal, Jonathan Medd and … Continue reading Developing a pathway to regulatory closure →

SYSPRO has announced new research, which reveals that the role of CFO 4.0 within the manufacturing sector will be crucial as the industry shifts towards increased digital transformation in the “new normal”. The study, which was conducted in October 2020 and led by SYSPRO, assessed the sentiment amongst senior level chief financial officers within manufacturing … Continue reading Role of manufacturing CFO 4.0 indispensable as industry accelerates digital transformation efforts →

Cruisemaster is a well-recognised name among off-road adventurers, producing premium independent arm suspension systems and couplings suited for safe off-road travelling in the Australian landscape. Originally born as a retirement hobby by Andrew, the chief engineer in charge of designing Land Rovers from 1947 to 1957, Cruisemaster was turned into the professional business it is … Continue reading Continuing the legacy: Three generations of automotive engineers make camping safer for Australians →

What do a mine in Tanzania, a factory in Turkey and a research facility in Antarctica have in common? They all have one or more industrial fans manufactured by Melbourne-based company AirEng operating at their premises. Founded in 1993 as a one-man business by manager Rhys Thompson, AirEng has grown fast, building its reputation as … Continue reading From a one-man business to Australia’s leading industrial fan manufacturer →

Australian manufacturers have faced enormous challenges over the past 12 months, and many are reviewing and reevaluating their operations and position to create resilient foundations and robust ways of working that can support them in the coming years. Research from the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre identified technology as being essential for manufacturers to set themselves … Continue reading Manufacturing industry trends: how tech is powering Australia’s manufacturing evolution →

The Association for Manufacturing Excellence is celebrating the 20th year of its Australian Chapter. In an open letter to AME members, president Barry McCarthy has encouraged members to show their support for Australian manufacturing and manufacturing excellence by attending the AME Toronto 2020 Virtual Conference. The association has launched a new series of training events, … Continue reading Creating the Pathway to Excellence for Australian manufacturers →

Combilift CEO and co-founder, Martin McVicar, and Timber Building Systems production manager, Darren Wylie, speak with Manufacturers’ Monthly about the benefits of Combilift’s materials handling solutions in the modular manufacturing sector. Increasing space, improving safety and speeding up the process for transporting products onsite are important considerations in the pre-fabrication business. Pre-fabrication, or modular manufacturing, … Continue reading Heavy lifting made easier in modular manufacturing →

Manufacturers’ Monthly speaks with the John Sample Group and SKF Australia about educating customers on good industrial lubrication practices through their business partnership. According to industry studies and data, lubrication contributes approximately one to three per cent of the overall cost of a manufacturer’s maintenance budget. However, the impact that poor lubrication can have on … Continue reading Reducing the cost of poor lubrication →