sustainability

Last week, the NSW government announced the funding for the renewal of the Fitzroy Street shipyard slipway to reactivate the Port of Newcastle and the Hunter as a major marine ship repair and maintenance precinct. For this project, defence company Thales Australia will begin stage one of a phased redevelopment of the site, creating an … Continue reading New life breathed into Newcastle maritime maintenance →

A BIS Research report forecasts the global 3D printing plastic and photopolymer material market is estimated to reach $1.86 billion (A$2.37 billion) by 2023 at a CAGR of 21.5 per cent from 2017 to 2023. The report says that it is because of the reliable properties of plastic and photopolymer, their cost effectiveness as compared … Continue reading Global 3D printing plastic and photopolymer market to reach A$2.37 billion by 2023 →

An in-principle agreement by Hydro Tasmania to buy electricity from the proposed Granville Harbour wind farm on Tasmania’s west coast is gathering momentum. According to a press release by Hydro Tasmania, the in-principle Power Purchase Agreement with Westcoast Wind Pty Ltd has been reached in consultation with the Tasmanian Government. The agreement sees Hydro Tasmania … Continue reading Granville Harbour wind farm proposal gathers momentum →

Microland, a global hybrid IT service provider, has announced that it has been positioned as a “Major Contender” in Everest Group’s Peak Matrix for Solutions: IT Infrastructure Services Automation 2017. Everest Group had analysed 15 leading service providers on a combination of analyst assessment and feedback, collated from client interviews. Based on the analysis, Microland emerged … Continue reading Microland a major contender in Everest Group’s Peak Matrix for Solutions →

South Korea’s JB Asset Management has put in its bid alongside private equity firm Newlake Alliance for the Arrium Australia assets which include the Whyalla steelworks, according to a report by the AFR. The report mentioned that the Korean consortium is also proposing a 200 megawatt gas-fired power plant be built as part of the proposal which would not … Continue reading JB Asset Management $5.3b backing of Newlake’s Arrium bid →

Victorian Manufacturing Awards 2017 was presented in the Crown Palladium and rewarded the best Manufacturers in small, medium and large businesses. The theme for the event was centred around Australia’s drive towards growing advanced manufacturing – a concept that is gaining traction among many Australian manufacturers, especially the SMEs. The opening keynote address by Jake … Continue reading Advanced manufacturing to be a focus: Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards 2017 →

Kingspan Insulation has announced the opening of its insulation manufacturing facility at Somerton in Melbourne. The $40 million factory is the first Green Star-rated manufacturing facility in Australia, aiming to support production entirely through renewable energy. With the opening of the Melbourne plant, Kingspan will not only be able to supply products to Australia, but it … Continue reading Australia’s first Green Star-rated factory opens in Victoria →

It may sound like science fiction, but wastewater treatment plants may one day turn ordinary sewage into biocrude oil, thanks to new research at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The technology, hydrothermal liquefaction, mimics the geological conditions the Earth uses to create crude oil, using high pressure and temperature to achieve in minutes … Continue reading Making fuel out of sewage →

Most robots achieve grasping and tactile sensing through motorised means, which can be excessively bulky and rigid. A Cornell group has devised a way for a soft robot to feel its surroundings internally, in much the same way humans do. A group led by Robert Shepherd, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and principal … Continue reading Engineers develop robot with human-like tactile senses →

Strategic metals company TNG has signed a key Memorandum of Understanding with Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI) and Energy Made Clean (EMC) to collaborate on the promotion, development and growth of Australia’s Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRF) market. Under the MoU, TNG will work together with SEI and EMC to review all of the potential applications … Continue reading Australia’s vanadium redox flow battery market set for growth →

Australia’s Defence Industry minister Christopher Pyne has reaffirmed that Australia remains committed to buying the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter despite US President-elect Donald Trump’s recent comments saying its ‘”cost is out of control’”. SKynews reported that Trump had a go at aircraft maker Lockheed Martin criticising them over Twitter on the program which has … Continue reading RAAF sticking to F-35 despite Trump attack →

ThyssenKrupp, one of the world’s largest steelmakers, has revealed that it was the victim of a ‘massive cyberattack’ earlier this year. The company was targeted by attackers from southeast Asia in what it has described as “organised, highly professional hacker activities”. The hackers were trying to obtain “technological know-how and research results”, according to the … Continue reading Steelmaker loses data during brazen cyberattack →

A research consortium led by Bosch is developing a novel industrial manufacturing concept. The nine partners on the ReCaM project aim to create a highly versatile manufacturing system. Such systems are needed because production times in modern manufacturing are becoming ever shorter. In addition, demand for customized products is increasing, and the number of variants … Continue reading Bosch & Co retool manufacturing concepts →

Sounds like an object right out of a sci-fi movie but Seven Dreamers, CEO, Shin Sakane seems to have come up with the “perfect” solution to everyone’s weekend clothing chores. Bloomberg has reported that the Japanese inventor received six billion yen (A$71 million) from partners, including Panasonic, last month to advance what was coined “the … Continue reading Panasonic & partners to build laundry bot →

South Australia has opened a new manufacturing technologies centre to help businesses grow by providing access to the state’s best researchers, financial institutions and global supply chains. The $1.2 million centre, situated in Adelaide’s northern suburbs at the University of South Australia’s Mawson Lakes campus, will help businesses identify methods by which they can adopt … Continue reading New tech hub opened in South Australia →

Byron Bay beer maker Stone & Wood has been reported to be looking to further expand its largest brewery as sales jump by 60 per cent to more than $30 million as a response to rivals’ “corporate comb overs” – attempts by large global breweries to spur growth in the premium and craft beer segments by … Continue reading Stone & Wood mulls expansion to quench thirst for demand →

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? →

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 →

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 →

With Ford closing its manufacturing operations in Victoria last month, and Toyota and Holden following suit next year, many observers are asking what led to this unfortunate outcome. Alan Johnson reports. LEARNING from your mistakes is one of the fundamental aspects of life, coupled with the importance of not making the same mistake twice. So … Continue reading What lessons has industry learnt? →