The first Industry 4.0 Advanced Manufacturing Forum Conference, held on August 7, identified the priorities for industry in transitioning to Industry 4.0. The first priority that representatives from business, research organisations, education and training providers, unions, and government bodies identified is the need for an appropriately skilled workforce. To meet this need, industry and education … Continue reading Multi-sector conference identifies priorities for Industry 4.0 →

From August 10-18, Australians across the country will be engaging in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics as part of National Science Week. Launching the week, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews, highlighted how the focus of the week is on getting young people involved in science. “When it comes to science, … Continue reading Setting off a spark: National Science Week →

Terri Hiskey, Vice President of Product Marketing for Manufacturing at Epicor Software. Look around, and the manufacturing industry is brimming with examples of firms that are bringing the latest technological developments to their factory floors. Their goal? To improve processes, increase automation levels, and facilitate future business growth. A case in point is the manufacturing … Continue reading Manufacturing is back, and more intelligent than ever – but are we reaping the benefits yet? →

On August 6, the federal government released a major announcement on gas pricing. The body of changes hopes to bring down gas prices for domestic and industrial consumers. Industry and manufacturers will play an important role in the plan. In a statement to Manufacturers’ Monthly, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor, said that, … Continue reading Government announces reforms to gas pricing →

Australian SMEs have an opportunity to be part of the build-up of the Polish defence forces. The Eastern-European country will spend $71 billion on the technical modernisation of the Polish Armed Forces until 2026. Austrade has been exploring how Australian manufacturers can be part of this build up, and has held roundtables with suppliers in … Continue reading Opportunities for Australian manufacturers to supply Polish Armed Forces →

Applications for $2 million in funding towards future energy technologies are now open, and must be received before 30 September 2019. Administered by National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), the funding will support innovation in the energy resources sector. Applicants who are pursuing projects in the remote operations, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence areas, as well as … Continue reading Government funding to support future energy technologies →

In a report released on August 6, the Australian industry Group (Ai Group), outlined how Australian businesses are transitioning to or already within Industry 4.0. In releasing the report, chief executive of Ai Group, Innes Willox, commented, “An overall finding is that there has been substantial progress in embracing Industry 4.0. But the gap between … Continue reading Gap between Industry 4.0 leaders and majority of businesses “substantial”: report →

The Queensland government will fund the construction of a new training centre for  heavy vehicles and hybrid autonomous technologies. The Automotive Centre of Excellence will be built with $2 million in funding. Construction will begin in November on the facility in Acacia Ridge, south of Brisbane. At the announcement, Minister for Training and Skills Development, … Continue reading Training centre for hybrid and heavy vehicles to open in Queensland →

The University of Adelaide has redesigned their Masters of Marine Engineering (MME) program and are now conducting classes for post-graduate students. Offered by the School of Mechanical Engineering, at the University of Adelaide, the course prepares students for careers in submarine design, project management, and the supply chains to support marine engineering. The program was … Continue reading Students prepared for submarine manufacturing →

The burgeoning hub for Australia’s space ecosystem, Lot Fourteen at the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site, is now home to space-start up Neumann Space. The company is developing propulsion technology to improve the thrust performance of satellites. Neumann Space will share its site with Inovor Technologies, and the two companies have signed a Memorandum of … Continue reading Lot Fourteen welcomes a new space tenant →

Swedish bearing and seal manufacturer SKF has selected Australian conveyor components manufacturer PROK for a long-term strategic supply partnership. The contract covers deep groove ball bearings for PROK’s conveyor idler units, Explorer Class spherical roller bearings in sealed and non-sealed versions, as well as various sleeves and housings for PROKs conveyor pulley offering. The program … Continue reading Strategic supply partnership signed between bearing and conveyor manufacturers →

In two announcements, the Australian Department of Defence has reached out to industry to make it easier for manufacturers to supply products for defence applications. In a change to the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP), Australian businesses will no longer need a Defence contract to gain DISP membership. Companies can now self-nominate for DISP membership. … Continue reading Defence sets out new terms of engagement with manufacturers →

A new report from the Australian Council of Learned Academies outlined what Australia needs to successfully adopt artificial intelligence (AI). The report highlights the need for a national strategy, a community awareness campaign, safe and accessible infrastructure, a responsive regulatory system, and a diverse and highly skilled workforce. Co-chaired by Professors Toby Walsh and Neil … Continue reading Report sets a roadmap for AI in Australia →

Two Queensland engineers were awarded the state’s top engineering honour last Friday night. Marking 100 years of Engineers Australia, the two engineers who won their awards have a broad background of experience and are active in their profession. Jothi Ramanujam took out the award for 2019 Professional Engineer of the Year – Queensland. Ramanujam is … Continue reading Engineers Australia names Queensland’s top engineers →

Application-specific pressure sensor manufacturer, Superior Sensor Technology, is now distributed through global electronics distributor Mouser Electronics. The differential low-pressure sensors made by the OEM are designed to be used in industrial heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning applications (HVAC), as well as for medical equipment. The HV Series, in particular, are high-performing, application-specific, low pressure sensors, and … Continue reading Mouser Electronics adds Superior Sensor Technology to their range →

The Ai Group’s Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI), has returned to positive territory in July. The index climbed 1.9 points to reach 51.3. Readings above 50 indicate an expansion of activity in the sector. In June, the Australian PMI dropped below 50, indicating a contraction in the sector, for the first time in nearly … Continue reading Australian PMI returns to positive →

Victoria hopes to attract more students to study defence manufacturing with an $855,000 grant for a new defence manufacturing skills training project. A.W. Bell, located in Dandenong South, will work with education provider Chisholm Institute and other industry partners to create a training course in investment casting and defence manufacturing, the first in Australia. The … Continue reading Funding for defence manufacturing skills →

The University of Sydney’s ARC Training Centre for CubeSats, UAVs & their Applications (CUAVA) has chosen US-Australian company Saber Astronautics to provide satellite operations for the first flight of a CUAVA satellite. The partnership represents a largely Australian-delivered space project, as Professor Iver Cairns, director of ARC Training Centre CUAVA, highlighted. “Together we are going … Continue reading Next step to all-Australian space flight →

Embracing innovation can be a difficult experience for some manufacturing firms, however at the second Global Business Innovation Conversation event in 2019, a group of experts at RMIT highlighted how businesses can ease the pain. According to Matthew Young, manufacturing innovation manager at the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), innovation requires openness about expectations. … Continue reading Global Business Innovation Conversation: speaking the language of innovation →

NORD Drivesystems manufacturers drive solutions to support customers with its communication and application know-how in the Industry 4.0 sector. NORD’s network drives enables condition monitoring and forms the basis of predictive maintenance. It also offers digitised production, advanced maintenance concepts, and new services. “The drive units are compatible with all common field buses and Ethernet-based … Continue reading NORD develops drive solutions for digitised production →