Canberra-based manufacturer, CEA Technologies, has won a $137 million contract to supply short range ground-based air defence radars. The advanced radars will provide ground forces with defence from sophisticated air threats, as Minister for Defence Industry, Melissa Price outlined. “This air defence capability combines world leading Australian radar technology with a highly effective air defence … Continue reading Local radar manufacturer selected for ground based systems →

Swinburne University has installed a new collaborative robotic system, in a world-first full digitalised inspection system for defect detection in carbon fibre composite production. The system, called DrapeWatch, is installed in the university’s Industry 4.0 Testlab in 2020, as part of the Factory of the Future facility. Swinburne has implemented the system in collaboration with … Continue reading Swinburne implements carbon fibre defect detection AI technology →

Volgen has manufactured the 5000th bus at its facility in Dandenong, Victoria. The bus body builder, the largest in Australia, delivered the Optimus Low-Floor Route Bus to Ventura Bus Lines. The event leads the company to come full circle, as the first bus ever made by Volgren, the VG001, is also owned by Ventury. According … Continue reading 5000th bus manufactured at Victorian site →

Manufacturers creating products for the farming and agricultural sectors have been awarded funding under the latest round of Accelerating Commercialisation grants. A low energy tag, produced through a collaboration between James Cook University, CSIRO, the Queensland Government, and industry partner Ceres Tag, has received $700,000 to commercialise their technology. The tag can trace livestock for … Continue reading Agtech manufacturers receive commercialisation funding →

German car manufacturer, BMW, has selected Beckhoff Automation as the global standard supplier for Industrial PC (IPC) technology. The agreement, announced on November 14, will tie the two companies together until 2030, and Beckhoff will supply BMW facilities worldwide, across sites including Germany, Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the UK, the US, and Mexico. The … Continue reading German auto maker selects global provider of IPCs →

Australian brick manufacturer has acquired US brick manufacturer Redland Brick. At a price of $48 million, the purchase covers four manufacturing sites across the US, one in Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and two in Maryland. Redland Brick encompasses brands such as Cushwa, KF, Harmar, and TruBrix, brands which will enable Brickworks to grow across North America, … Continue reading Australian brick manufacturer expands US operations →

Bioenergy in Queensland has received a boost via the state government’s Waste to Biofutures Fund (W2B Fund). Two projects in the state have been announced on November 14, one a biogas-solar electricity project, and the other an agricultural waste to bioenergy project for the powering of electric cars. The biogas plant will be part of … Continue reading Projects turn biowaste into industrial energy →

3D printing manufacturer, Amaero Engineering, has announced a new shareholder offer, with the hope to raise at least $6 million. The additive manufacturing company grew out of Monash University and the Monash Centre for Additive Manufacturing. The company made headlines in 2013 for 3D printing a jet engine and Aerospike rocket, the first worldwide. In … Continue reading 3D printing company begins IPO process →

A new meat processing facility in Heathwood, south of Brisbane, will utilise the latest robotic systems to package meat and vegan products. The Hilton Foods Australia (HFA) facility, costing $280 million, will employ 650 people when it is at full production in 2020. Across 23 production lines, the local workforce will provide the skills to … Continue reading Meat processing site invests in the latest technology →

Manufacturers continue to have a growing role to play in ensuring that waste is diverted from landfill and used in the creation of new products. After the joint meeting of Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Environment Ministers, a tight timeframe for a resolution to the waste crisis was agreed upon. The ministers agreed to phase … Continue reading COAG waste timeline puts emphasis on manufacturers →

A new facility for the testing of satellites and other large-scale vehicles travelling faster than the speed of sound will open at the University of Queensland (UQ). The facility is an upgrade of UQ’s Centre for Hypersonics’s large expansion tube facility, X3. The new configuration is named X3R, and can test at speeds up to … Continue reading Hypersonic testing facility expands capability →

APS Industrial has announced that it has released its first custom designed product, a range of distribution boards. Incorporating components from APS Industrial’s partners Siemens, KATKO, Weidmüller, and Rittal, the boards are designed for the demands of Australian industrial facilities. The circuit breakers in the boards are from German manufacturer Siemens and the enclosures are … Continue reading Distribution boards designed for industry →

Manufacturers of equipment, products, and services to the mining and oil and gas sectors should consider the disruptive impact of 3D printing, according to a new report from Global Data. In part driven by the remote geographic nature of oil and gas facilities, 3D printed products, or manufacturers who products can be 3D printed on … Continue reading 3D printing to shape the future of oil and gas →

The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) will be running a series of sessions on energy management from November 18-22 in the Central West town of Orange. Named Orange Energy Week, the sessions are free and targeted at manufacturers, as well as those in the agricultural, horticulture, viticulture, hospitality, and health. According to … Continue reading Orange Energy Week to provide tailored solutions for manufacturers →

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will develop a roadmap for bioenergy to be utilised in the decarbonisation of the Australian industrial sector. The roadmap will be developed after Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor, asked ARENA to look into how bioenergy could enable Australia to have a competitive advantage in the transition … Continue reading ARENA to set national bioenergy strategy →

Funding to help small businesses pursue advanced manufacturing projects has been awarded in Round 4 of the Global Connections Fund (GCF) Bridging Grants. The 34 projects, 14 led by small businesses and 20 conducted by researchers, share in $1.6 million in funding, distributed in grants between $25,000 and $50,000. The program aims to connect Australian … Continue reading International partnerships to drive innovation →

Unleashed Software, software as a service provider with products targeted at manufacturers, has announced that Julian Wheeler is the new chief product officer. Unleashed works to enable manufacturers and other businesses to have greater knowledge of their processes, supplies, and sales. The platform integrates with accounting, business, and eCommerce platforms such as Xero, QuickBooks, Shopify, … Continue reading Manufacturing software provider appoints new CPO →

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), along with allied unions, released a joint report on November 8, outlining how workers previously employed by the fossil fuel industries can be redeployed into renewable energy. With offshore wind testing occurring off the coast of Victoria, the report noted the need to support the renewable energy sector to … Continue reading Manufacturing union joins call for just transition →

The growing demand for metals produced sustainably present an opportunity for Australian manufacturing, write the authors of a new report from the Energy Transition Hub. Outlining a plan for zero-carbon metal manufacturing, the report, From Mining to Making, highlights that while metal production produces 9 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, there are ways … Continue reading Potential for zero-emissions metals to boost Australian manufacturing →

AR and VR-enabled automotive parts and maintenance manufacturer, Tradiebot, has announced the launch of SprayVIS. Designed to assist tradespeople to develop their skills at automotive spray painting. The VR platform, developed and manufactured in Australia, is designed to be Generation Y and Z friendly, and to grow interest in the trades as a pathway for … Continue reading AR technology to assist spray painting →