Ireland has committed to supporting manufacturers in the country to pursue Industry 4.0 strategies. Minister for Business, Enterprise, and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, announced that the government would contribute €23.5 million ($37.8 million) to the Irish Manufacturing Research Centre as part of its new Industry 4.0 Strategy. “The Irish Manufacturing Research Centre plays a pivotal role in … Continue reading Ireland commits $37.8 million to Industry 4.0 →

Manufacturers have joined global efforts to support bushfire relief across Australia. Explosives company Orica was the latest of a number of businesses to announce significant donations to rural firefighters and other charities helping communities recover from the Australian bushfire crisis. On January 8, the company announced that it would donate $1 million to the Victorian … Continue reading Manufacturers support bushfire relief →

A recent delegation of Victorian Minister for Training and Skills and Minister for Higher Education, Gayle Tierney and industry leaders looked at how Australia can learn from European education and training systems to ensure best-practices in preparing a future workforce. Visiting Finland, England, and Scotland, Michael Grogan, national director of skills and training at the … Continue reading Delegation studies best practices in skills training →

The consortium delivering the Regency to Pym Project, R2P Alliance, has selected building materials made from waste products as part of the project. To seal the construction office carpark a product consisting of 100 per cent recycled materials has been chosen. The material used is made up of 110,000 plastic bags, 324 kilograms of recycled … Continue reading Recycled asphalt used in Regency to Pym project →

The West Australian government has awarded $1.68 million to feasibility studies for the production and use of renewable hydrogen. The funding comes from the Renewable Hydrogen Fund, and covers projects that investigate the use of hydrogen alongside natural gas as an energy source for industrial projects. “These feasibility studies will facilitate significant private sector investment … Continue reading WA commits to research into hydrogen and natural gas blending →

Two Australian businesses, J3Seven and Point Trading, will provide the Australian Defence Forces with protection from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. The twin announcements are partnerships between the respective companies and Leidos Australia, which is the contractor providing chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defence equipment capability to the ADF. Point Trading, based in Moorabbin, … Continue reading Regional businesses provide chemical protection →

Western Australian industry will start to be powered by its own waste, with the approval of Australia’s second energy-from-waste plant in Rockingham Industrial Zone, Western Australia. The East Rockingham Resource Recovery Facility (ERRRF) will take 300,000 tonnes of non-recyclable materials, including 65,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial residual waste. Built by a consortium, the ERRRF … Continue reading Industrial waste used to power Rockingham →

Four projects in South Australia have received $150,000 each to pursue innovation in defence and industry research. Delivered through the Defence Innovation Partnership, the funding enables collaborative partnerships between local industry, universities, and the Australian Defence Force. Awarded projects in this round, the third so far, include the development of new electrically conducting carbon-based coatings. … Continue reading Funding awarded for defence-industry research →

An Australian company, VSPC, has partnered with a Chinese firm to commercialise a Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) cathode product. The MoU between VSPC and Beijing Saideli Technology Incorporated Company (SDL) covers the low capital establishment of a supply chain for the cathode material in China, in addition to collaboration for a study into the feasibility … Continue reading Australian-Chinese partnership to commercialise lithium battery technology →

The performance of the Australian manufacturing sector improved slightly in December, but remained in negative territory. December was the second month in a row of contraction in the Australian manufacturing sector, with the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) recording a figure of 48.3 points. This marks the first time since … Continue reading December PMI shows impact of economy on manufacturing →

ASX-listed and Queanbeyan, NSW based manufacturer Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has been selected by the Australian Army to provide Remote Weapon Stations for the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles (CRV). The $45 million contract is part of the LAND 400 Phase 2 project, and provides the Australian Army with locally manufactured close combat capability, said Defence … Continue reading Local manufacturer selected to provide weapon stations →

Entries are now open for Queensland’s 59th annual training awards, and manufacturing employers are encouraged to nominate. “We want to see the best of our top training achievers recognised at this year’s awards including apprentices, trainees, teachers, employers and training organisations,” said Queensland Minister for Training and Skills Development, Shannon Fentiman. The awards are spread … Continue reading Manufacturers encouraged to nominate outstanding trainees →

An Australian manufacturer’s circular economy solution has been recognised at the NSW Green Globe Awards. Integrated services company Downer Group’s Reconophalt took the innovation category award. The product takes soft plastics, glass, toner, and reclaimed road to create pavement, laid across NSW. The product is itself able to be recycled at the end of its … Continue reading Recycled asphalt receives innovation award →

An investment fund for the commercialisation of health and bio-technologies has been launched in South Australia. The Adelaide China Biotech Investment Fund, launched on December 10, will use $45 million in funding to take research out of the labs at the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia, and other research institutions and manufacture … Continue reading Foreign investment targets SA biotech sector →

The Certificate III Engineering Fabrication Trade course at Western Australia’s South Metropolitan TAFE has been recognised as providing the requisite skills for Australia’s naval shipbuilding program. The course was recognised by the Naval Shipbuilding College, a partnership between Kellogg Brown & Root and Huntington Ingalls Industries, which aims to grow the workforce for programs including … Continue reading WA TAFE course accredited for naval shipbuilding program →

A lab at Western Sydney University has developed roof tiles with integrated solar panels using a 3D printing process designed to be readily adopted by current tile manufacturers. According to results at the Centre for Infrastructure Engineering, the solar roof tiles can produce 19 per cent more electricity, than conventional solar panels. The benefit is … Continue reading University develops power producing roof tiles →

Research into the role of fatigue, workload, and stress in artificial intelligence is the subject of a GB£150,000 ($292,100) grant from Thales to academics and PhD students at UniSA. The research will study how the effect of sleep deprivation impacts wellbeing and cognitive performance. The data will then be used by Thales to ensure that … Continue reading Funding supports research into human error in AI →

A report from Arup has set out a roadmap for a circular economy in photovoltaic panels. Acknowledging that PV solar rooftop panels can provide a sustainable energy source for Australian businesses and household, the report outlines that with the current adoption of solar, there will be between 300,000 and 450,000 tonnes of panel waste by … Continue reading Plan to create solar panel circular economy →

Google has announced that it has made a significant breakthrough in quantum computing. According to a study published in the US journal Nature, scientists from Google’s AI Quantum research institute have reached quantum supremacy. This announcement involves utilising a quantum computer to carry out a calculation beyond the practical capabilities of current computers. Google claimed … Continue reading Google claims to demonstrate quantum supremacy →

In heavy-duty applications such as abattoirs, it is vital to have a bearing that is designed to withstand the toughest of requirements. Manufacturers’ Monthly explains. In many industrial operations, bearings are the lynchpin of a production line. In the context of a high-intensity operation such as an abattoir, a bearing must be designed to withstand … Continue reading Timken Spherical Roller Bearing Solid-Block Housed Units (formerly known as Blue Brute) save time and money →