Finance

Trumpf and Siemens are joining hands to produce a software solution for optimised and streamlined additive manufacturing of metal parts with Trumpf printing machines – from part design to 3D printing. The two companies hope to industrialise laser metal fusion technology and make the additive manufacturing process for metal parts an integral part of the … Continue reading Trumpf and Siemens to collaborate on 3D metal printing →

Jim Metcher, the NSW secretary of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) and the longest-serving union leader in the country has been accused of hiding his violent past from the Fair Work Commission. This includes his brutal domestic abuse of his daughter and ex-wife. He is expected to face the Fair Work Commission on … Continue reading Union boss’s violent past comes to light →

With Asia Pacific leaders reaffirming their commitment to free trade at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Peru, Malcolm Turnbull is “confident” that US president elect Donald Trump will “see the light” and do an about turn on his protectionist stance against the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). Currently it looks to be headed for … Continue reading Turnbull trusts in a Trump TPP turnaround →

ASX-listed Australian hearing implant manufacturer Cochlear has lost a court case in the US over two disputed hearing aid patents. In a ruling delivered last Thursday, the [US] Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in favour of the Alfred E. Mann Foundation (AMF), confirming that defendants Cochlear infringed on two claims of AMF … Continue reading Cochlear loses US patent appeal →

In a first for Australia, The Courier Mail has reported this morning, the Herston Biofabrication Institute, to be opened in late 2017, will be manufacturing human tissue, bones and eventually even organs. Eventually employing up to 60 researchers, the Institute will also develop capabilities of advance medical technologies such as 3D printing and computational medicine. … Continue reading 3D printed organ company to open in Brisbane in 2017 →

It’s the time of the year when company boards and executives face their shareholders at annual general meetings. Boards will be asked to explain the pay packages of executives. Already some have been called into question. Some Australian companies cite the need to rely on the United States as a benchmark when it comes to … Continue reading OPINION: Should Australian companies set executive pay to a US benchmark? →

In a bid to re-strategise its business plans for growth in 2017, German bearing maker Schaeffler has announced that it looks to shave off 500 jobs at its industrial division in Germany and other European countries. The company has cited the move was due to slow delivery chains and overly centralised sales operations and mentioned … Continue reading Schaeffler cuts jobs but Asia Pac remains unaffected →

Boral has entered into a binding agreement to acquire US building products maker Headwaters. The US$2.6 billion deal is subject to shareholder approval and regulatory approval, and is expected to complete in mid-2017. Based in Utah, Headwaters is a leading manufacturer of building products and one of the largest marketers of fly ash in the … Continue reading Boral cements its acquisition of US building products maker →

The X-Stream XS-720p slow motion camera by IDT offers continuous frame streaming via the PCI express 2.0 x4 interface with a sustained transfer speed of 1.75GB/sec. I has been designed for checking and inspecting high speed applications including industrial and packaging inspection, microscopy, media, traffic control and surveillance. The cameras flexible design has been implemented around … Continue reading Slow motion inspection camera for packaging plants →

Australia’s 457 visa system is back in the news again. If you believe Labor, the 457 visa is a rort allowing foreign workers to steal Australian jobs. The government, on the other hand, defends it as a way for Australia to meet skills gaps in the economy. Misunderstanding the problem is leading to wrong solutions … Continue reading The real issues with the 457 visa aren’t being addressed →

According to a recent article in Forbes, America’s manufacturers are getting very worried. As you read this, a number of influential US manufacturers and their associated industry representatives are urging President-elect Donald Trump to back off from his most threatening trade rhetoric. They want him to pursue a more nuanced approach to trade with China … Continue reading OPINION: So how will the manufacturing sector respond to President Trump? →

Lantek has developed a new functionality to its existing range of sheet metal solutions CAD/CAM software, which integrates online parts and consumables procurement for sheet metal parts. Using CAD/CAM software, Lantek’s customers can integrate with their own customers into a supply chain, allowing them to reorder previously supplied parts or request quotations for the manufacture of … Continue reading Sheet metal working now at your fingertips →

BlueScope Steel has partnered with TOLL, K&S Transport and Buzinga App Development to improve health and safety methods for their employees and contractors through the safety app, ‘SteelDrive’. The app, launched in June, 2016 and now available to Android users, allows truck drivers to document the restraining and transportation of steel, through photo-taking, GPS-tracking, and cloud-based … Continue reading BlueScope launches workplace safety app →

According to a story this morning in the Australian Financial Review (AFR), Incitec Pivot CEO James Fazzino said while the outlook for commodity prices is more positive than six months ago, he still expects challenging conditions for the company to persist into 2017. “The markets were tough given the downturn in the global resources industry … Continue reading Incitec still nervous about its recovery →

Ford’s closure of its Geelong manufacturing plant last month is part of a broader story about Australia’s manufacturing sector. But one side of this story has so far been overlooked: the role of Australia’s lax attitude to vehicle emissions. Globally, car manufacturers are taking climate action seriously by significantly improving fuel economy, in turn reducing … Continue reading Australia’s car industry ignored the elephant in the room: carbon emissions →

US-based Hypertherm has released Rotary Tube Pro, software that makes it easier to design and cut tube and pipe parts with no 3D CAD experience required. The software features a parametric design interface that allows main tubes and side-wall cutouts to be added from a list of predefined shapes. Alternatively, users can add tubes and … Continue reading New pipe and tube cutting software →

Speaking at a press conference to launch its Global Status of CCS: 2016 Report at the twenty second conference of the parties (COP 22) in Marrakech yesterday, Global CCS Institute Chief Executive, Brad Page, said the scale of the challenge to deliver the ‘well below’ 2°C climate goal should not be underestimated. “The current level … Continue reading Carbon capture industry must expand says global body →

Bluescope’s annual general meeting yesterday heard that the company was on track for a 50 per cent increase in underlying earnings for the year’s first-half, despite increases in coking coal prices and a global oversupply of steel.

Incitec Pivot’s net profit after tax has slumped 68 per cent for the year ending September 30, with the company citing resources and fertiliser price slumps.

The second and final stage of bidding for Arrium Australia has seen the field narrowed to four, including South Korean steelmaker Posco through its venture capital arm.