GE Intelligent Platforms is joining the PTC PartnerAdvantage program.

At first glance, there are not many positives coming out of the coal sector, with dropping commodity prices, miners operating on thinner margins, deferred projects and investment, and job losses.

Manufacturers’ Monthly spoke with SICK Australia and New Zealand’s National Sales Manager Jeff Walker at AUSPACK PLUS 2013 about the developing role of automation in mining, manufacturing and other industrial environments.

As part of our new Q&A series we interview you, and find out what your job is day to day. This edition features Jason Oliver, CEO of Black Widow and recent winner of the Manufacturers’ Monthly Endeavour Award for the Young Manufacturer of The Year.

Conveyor belts work well, but aren’t particularly neat. Here’s a system that can line-up or ‘singulate’ randomly oriented items into an orderly straight queue for packaging.

Part two of a two part series on how to reduce operating costs through better warehousing and storage operations.

Manufacturers’ Monthly took a tour of Keech’s Bendigo site recently. CEO Herbert Hermens and COO Cameron Watts told Brent Balinski about the investment efforts the steel castings company has made to boost its competitiveness.

Part one of a two part series on how to reduce operating costs through better warehousing and storage operations.

It is not the first time in Australia’s economic history that a prevalent sector reaches its peak and gives way to a rapidly developing new one. However, while the mining and education sectors have apparently hit their peaks and manufacturing continues its decline (as seen by the planned withdrawal of Ford in 2016), there seems to be no replacement underway.

Helping answer the question “what’s next for 3D printing?” is a team from Townsville, who are set to unveil an all-in-one manufacturing solution at Australia’s first 3D printing expo this month.

With mobile compatibility and functions for those creating limited-run, made-to order products, the new enterprise resource planning offering from Pronto Software has plenty that’s relevant to manufacturers.

Near the end of the movie “Skyfall”, there’s a scene in which James Bond and M drive out of the city in a classic 1960 Aston Martin DB5, the distinctive silver Bond Car first used in Goldfinger in 1965. Later —and this is a slight spoiler — the car is shot full of holes with assault rifles and blown up with a helicopter.

Now its 101st year and fourth generation, the Australian hat-maker still makes its iconic felt hats in much the same way as always has. Brent Balinski talks to company secretary Roy Wilkinson about tradition and how demand for Aussie-made quality is catching on in China.

How do automotive manufacturers keep in business during lean times? Troy Taylor explains.

Adelaide-based defence electronics manufacturer Codan was the subject of a cyber-attack, allegedly from China,

Manufacturers across the world rely on economies from the scale of production to drive down unit cost. This “mass production” approach, focused on efficiency and uniformity of product, is feasible when volumes of production are high enough for scale to be realised.

Ronson Gears has won the 2013 Endeavour Awards Enterprise Connect Significant Achievement award.

BOC has won the 2013 Endeavour Awards Technology Application of the Year category for the development of its new Mini Bulk Service Offer and Mix Onsite.

A total factory approach to sustainability has won the Baltimore Aircoil Company the Environmental Solution of the Year award.

BOC won the 2013 Technology Application of the Year award for the development of its new Mini Bulk Service Offer and Mix Onsite, which was designed specifically for the Australian welding sector.