Recent Australian research reveals the influence of drugs and alcohol on workers is far more widespread than once believed. Alan Johnson reports.

In Australia, car makers have come to be seen by many as more of a cost than a benefit, a failing industry that was too reliant on government handouts. But in the United States, many state governments have attracted foreign investment that has provided ongoing economic security.

When Ford closes the doors on its vehicle manufacturing operations today about 600 workers will walk out of the factory gate for the last time at the Broadmeadows assembly plant in Melbourne’s northern suburbs and at the company’s engine and stamping plants in Geelong. Preliminary results from a survey of more than 400 auto workers show that most of them still want to work but are unlikely to find secure, long-term jobs.

The closure of Ford’s casting plant in Geelong does make you wonder how losing the ability to make our own engines can be a step forward. Australia should take stock and contemplate what kind of society we are becoming.

Few examples of Australian tax policy are subject to as frequent change as the Research & Development tax subsidy, again under review by the federal government. Substantive changes to the rules have occurred every five of the past 20 years. By contrast, the US has had essentially the same R&D tax rules since 1990.

As was recently reported across the mainstream media and on our online daily news site www.manmonthly.com.au, the last six-cylinder and V8 engines have been produced at Geelong, completing one part of the Ford’s staged shutdown, which will tie in with the last vehicle being produced at Ford’s Broadmeadows plant on October 7.

Don’t miss out: it’s now easier to claim Research and Development (R&D) activities than ever before, as Alan Johnson reports.

Steel dumping is the latest accusation levelled at China in a growing backlash against the country’s influence in Australia. But dumping can be in the eye of the beholder, depending on how much your country is exporting or importing (or both) and varying government regulations.

Now is not the time for engineering companies in Australia to be ‘retiring’ experienced design engineers, project engineers, and estimators. It has not been common practice in the past to electronically harness the decades of knowledge stored in the minds of these engineers, and when they leave the workplace, all this intellectual bounty goes with them.

Heat Treatment Australia applies its expertise to high-value parts for areas including aerospace and defence, making them stronger, lighter and more durable. Brent Balinski spoke to the company about its expansion, which will see it open its new Los Angeles site in October.

If your health practitioner has used a syringe, tongue depressor (to look at your throat), pacemaker, stethoscope, X-ray or MRI scan, blood test, dental filling or joint implant to treat you, you’ve encountered a product from the medical technology industry.

Intelligent Process Automation is widely recognised as a new tool manufacturers could be leveraging to improve their bottom line. With the underpinning technology continuously evolving and advancing, it’s important to understand that automation is not limited to traditionally labour‑intensive or dangerous work, as in the case of physical robots.

PRINCIPLES from the automotive, mining and paper industries have helped develop a machine to convert cheap pulpwood into a premium product with the same properties as tropical hardwood.

A number of big Australian companies have started to publicly release tax reports recently, such as ANZ, BHP Billiton, AMP and the National Australia Bank. This follows intense scrutiny of tax minimisation and evasion from the Australian government.

Major industrial companies have been making serious acquisitions lately, seeking to strengthen their capabilities with metal additive manufacturing. Brent Balinski spoke to Mark Cola, co-founder and CEO of Sigma Labs, about what it all means.

Australia’s largest workplace health and safety event, Safety in Action, took place this year in Sydney, exhibiting the latest systems, products, and seminars to encourage safety in the workplace. Manufacturers’ Monthly was on site speaking to some of the companies that attended. Sharon Masige writes.

Australian research has recently shown graphene’s usefulness in giving materials improved thermal properties. Brent Balinski spoke to ANU Associate Professor Shannon Notley about getting this out of the lab.

Despite last-minute efforts by the Obama administration, the US Congress’ ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement is in serious danger.

“Disruption” and “disrupters” have become buzz words in the business community and are often used to describe any change or evolution in a sector.

First released in October last year, the Synergy platform was officially launched by Renesas in Australia recently. Brent Balinski spoke to the company and one of its local independent design house partners about developing products for the Internet of Things.