The potential to extract lithium, manufacture products such as batteries, and recycle them at the end of their life, all in Australia, has taken a step forward with Lithium Australia announcing a 73.7 per cent interest in Envirostream, an almost 50 point increase. Lithium Australia invests in extraction processes for lithium, supplying the battery industry. … Continue reading Investment to create circular economy in lithium battery manufacturing →

The Western Australian government will focus on growing the number of trainees and apprentices in regional areas of the state. Minister for Education and Training, Sue Ellery, announced that the VET Regional Partnerships Program will grow links between all stakeholders in the sector to train workers with the skills industry requires. The program is part … Continue reading WA invests in targeted regional skills development →

Brazil will collaborate with the World Economic Forum to enable small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector to access to the technologies of Industry 4.0. The Ministry of Economy of Brazil and the State of São Paulo will work with the Forum to implement policies to drive the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies. … Continue reading Industry 4.0 in Brazil gains international expertise →

As Australia grapples with how to develop its own hydrogen industry, an Austrian partnership has begun operating a green hydrogen plant to replace fossil fuels in steel production. The plant has a capacity to produce over 6 megawatts in a CO2 neutral manner, to power voestalpine’s steel manufacturing in Linz. The facility utilises the world’s … Continue reading Austrian metal manufacturer utilises hydrogen for green steel →

The global expansion of Australian navigation sensor manufacturing business, Advanced Navigation, has received $20 million in funding, through a partnership between Main Sequence Ventures, Brick & Mortar Ventures, and In-Q-Tel. Advanced Navigation manufactures AI-based navigational technologies and robotics. Its products are supplied to car manufacturers, defence prime contracts and multinational companies such as NASA, Boeing, … Continue reading Navigation manufacturer secures $20 million in funding →

Global aerospace and defence technology manufacturer L3Harris will expand its footprint in South Australia. The company will increase its workforce by 20 to deliver its MAAPS business, which develops marine control systems and simulation products. The company will base itself at Mawson Lakes Technology Park as it integrates its systems into the new Offshore Patrol … Continue reading L3Harris grows South Australia capabilities →

A new ferry in Perth has been built locally and will enter service before the end of the year. Built by Dongara Marine, a Port Denison-based shipbuilder, the ferry is named after Perth Zoo’s 62-year-old Asian Elephant, Tricia. Selected through a popular vote, the now MV Tricia will run between Elizabeth Quay and Mends Street … Continue reading WA ferry named after local icon →

On November 23, Naval Group announced that Babcock International Group PLC will provide the weapon discharge system for the Attack class submarines. Babcock will transfer the intellectual property of the system to Babcock Australia, the Australian subsidiary of the London-headquartered company. Babcock Australia has delivered similar systems to Australia’s current fleet of Collins class submarines, … Continue reading Contract awarded for Attack class weapon discharge system →

The Australian government has committed funding to develop the nation’s hydrogen industry, following the release of chief scientist Alan Finkel’s report into the potential of the energy source for Australia. $370 million from the budgets of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will go towards developing technology to extract … Continue reading $370m earmarked for developing hydrogen industry →

Advanced manufacturing will be charged up with $800,000 in funding for lithium battery manufacturing in Victoria. The federal government will fund Calix to develop the BATMn reactor, alongside partners the Institute for Frontier Materials, BAT-TRI Hub at Deakin University, and Boron Molecular. According to Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews, the facility will … Continue reading Federal government funds Victorian lithium battery factory →

The Western Australia government has announced new zones for manufacturers. Across two areas, the Rockingham Industrial Zone, and Latitude 32 Industry Zone, the sites will provide space for a range of businesses to leverage connections from Australia to China and Southeast Asia. “The Western Trade Coast is a development which underlines WA’s reputation as the … Continue reading Western Trade Coast open for industrial development →

A transition to a low carbon economy could add 1,750 jobs to Collie in south-west Western Australia, many of those in low-carbon manufacturing, highlights a new report from think tank, Beyond Zero Emissions. Collie, known for its coal industry at the centre of the south-west interconnected system, has been roiled by announcements of closures of … Continue reading Potential for low carbon manufacturing to re-industrialise Collie and south west WA →

Hydrogen will play a key role in the transition to a planet the runs on clean energy, but scaling up production is a major challenge currently facing the world’s engineers, investors, and governments, according to Australia’s chief scientist, Alan Finkel. At the World Engineers Convention 2019, Finkel and Paul Durrant, head of innovation strategies at … Continue reading Is hydrogen the fuel of the future? →

Telecommunications and electronics manufacturer EM Solutions has signed a statement of strategic intent and cooperation with the Australian Space Agency (ASA). The Brisbane-based company will work with the ASA to implement radiofrequency and SATCOM systems across the Australian space sector. “EM solutions is building on its experience in land and marine satellite terminals to expand … Continue reading Communications provider signs agreement with space agency →

At an industry awards night for the packaging industry, manufacturers were recognised for their innovative approaches to packaging. Presenting the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) awards, Trevor Evans, Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management, noted that the winners of these awards demonstrate how the sector is pursuing national objectives. “The achievements on show … Continue reading Awards recognise excellence in manufacturing packaging →

Australian-made 3D printers will be installed on Australian Navy vessels in a trial of in-situ advanced manufacturing. Announced on November 21, the Department of Defence will invest $1.5 million in the Supersonic Deposition 3D printer pilot, a world first. The printers will be used on patrol vessels to streamline maintenance processes, as Minister for Defence … Continue reading Australian-made 3D printers to be installed on Navy vessels →

At the World Engineering Convention held in Melbourne this week, day two was kicked off with a panel discussion based on a simple question: Is the future of engineering human? The panel featured Meredith Westafer, senior industrial engineer at Tesla, John Sukkar, director of engineering design at CISRO, and Felicity Furey, co-founder of Power of … Continue reading Is the future of engineering human? →

Titomic have unveiled the world’s first 3D printed high-performance titanium rocket. Demonstrated at FormNext, a 3D printing trade show in Frankfurt, Germany, the rocket is a scaled version of Australian rocket company Gilmour Space’s ERIS-S rocket. Titomic created the rocket using its Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF) 9000 platform. The manufacturing process was undertaken in Melbourne … Continue reading Titomic launches 3D printed rocket →

An Australian company has developed a solution to the rise of silicosis in those who cut and shape manufactured stone. Instead of reducing airborne dust particles through water, or by extracting them from the air with a vacuum, the tool extracts the silica dust during the cutting process. Named The Edge Powercutter, the tool has … Continue reading New power cutter to prevent silicosis →

The Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN), has chastised the implementation of the Australian Industry Capability (AIC) Program, for not including Australian manufacturers. With announcements of subcontracts from defence prime contracts going to overseas manufacturers, Lester Sutton, national board chair of AIDN, said that the federal government needed to review the AIC program. “The current … Continue reading Lack of Australian industry involvement in defence contracting criticised →