USA

Austal USA announced this week that it has acquired privately held ElectraWatch, Inc. in an all cash stock purchase. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings and the business will remain a standalone business, part of the Austal USA portfolio. Austal USA’s parent company, Austal, is an Australian-based global ship building company and defence … Continue reading Austal acquires metal tech company ElectraWatch →

At the recent Paris airshow, it was reported that Boeing released a forecast for aerospace services demand, projecting the need for expansive services over the next 10 years, valued at US$2.6 trillion (A$3.4 trillion). The outlook is said to demonstrate “tremendous potential” for growth in the aerospace services markets Boeing serves, including: Maintenance, engineering and … Continue reading Boeing: Tremendous growth predicted in aerospace market →

CEVA has just moved into what it claims is one of the biggest sheds in the southern hemisphere, a half-kilometre-long storage and distribution facility equivalent to eight MCG playing fields in size – located in Truganina which is in proximity to Sydney and Adelaide’s highways, Melbourne’s port and the freeway into the city. The Truganina … Continue reading CEVA expands its Australian presence →

Over the past few decades, the manufacturing industry has undergone numerous major upheavals. Right now, we are witnessing the dawning of the next era with Industry 4.0, boosted in Asia by China’s recently announced China 2020 vision, in which they outlined plans to adopt new technologies and industries, marking a shift away from traditional manufacturing, … Continue reading The dawn of the new industrial era with the smart factory →

According to research by Curtin University, corrosion may be costing the Australian economy more than $30 billion each year. Within industrial environments, exposure to things like water, acid or salt causes corrosion of geared motors. This, in turn, reduces the strength of the corroded parts and inevitably means they have to be replaced. In corrosive … Continue reading Corrosion is eating away at Australian industry →

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 →

The United States Food and Drug Administration has cleared ResMed’s new AirMini sleep apnea treatment product.

Metal additive manufacturing is on the march, but despite growing interest, technologies remain slow, expensive, and limited in what they can produce. Brent Balinski spoke to Carnegie Mellon University Professor Jack Beuth about what’s being done to change this, and what to expect from 2017.

A second arrest in the United States has been made over the “defeat device” Volkswagen emissions scandal, following the company’s admission in September 2015 that it had cheated emissions laws.

All over the world, ageing populations and changing attitudes are making it harder to hold on to workers, believes Dr Rodney Brooks. Brent Balinski spoke to Brooks, founder of Rethink Robotics, about some demographic and technology shifts to watch out for and why it’s best to be realistic.

Divergent 3D – an automotive company including microfactories and 3D printed structural joints in its manufacturing methods, and which has partnered with Peugeot – has announced plans to deliver cars at “volume” in the coming years.

Nuheara, makers of intelligent, truly wireless earbuds, announced the launch of its flagship product, IQbuds, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Tesla’s production increased to 83,922 vehicles last year, up 64 per cent, though delivery targets for the last quarter were missed, with the company blaming “short-term production challenges”.

Emerson Automation Solutions expands its vortex flow meter portfolio with the addition of the Rosemount 8600 Utility Vortex Flow Meter, designed specifically for utility applications. Its application-specific design reduces installation costs, provides accurate and reliable flow measurement, and extends vortex technology into a wider range of applications. The Rosemount 8600 Utility Vortex delivers the benefits … Continue reading New vortex flow meter for utility applications →

NHP has announced a partnership with local IoT experts, Switch Automation, to deliver InfoSyte, an exclusive energy management software solution from NHP tailored for the Australian and New Zealand markets. A powerful cloud hosted energy management platform, InfoSyte has the ability to integrate with energy, water and gas measuring devices along with other facility systems such as building management systems (BMS) and … Continue reading NHP partners with Switch Automation to deliver InfoSyte →

With the completion of the US$9.3 billion acquisition of ERP provider NetSuite earlier last month on November 7, Oracle outlined what customers should be expecting in the coming months. Co-CEO Mark Hurd made one point clear – NetSuite will continue as its own global business unit and that Oracle intends to invest in the product … Continue reading Oracle ‘s NetSuite acquisition won’t change a thing →

RS Components (RS)  has announced availability of two connectors from Amphenol that are designed to meet the rigorous demands of use in hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs). Key applications for the new MSD and mini-MSD connectors include high-energy storage systems for the battery Manual Service Disconnect (MSD) used for servicing plug-in HEV (PHEV) systems. The Amphenol MSD … Continue reading Hybrid vehicle servicing connectors now available →

Cutting tools maker Sandvik Coromant has signed an agreement to become a Premium Partner of leading machine tool manufacturer, DMG Mori. According to DMG, Sandvik Coromant will be the only tooling manufacturer to be named as a DMG Mori premium partner. As a DMG’s premium partner, Sandvik Coromant will work together with the machine tool … Continue reading Sandvik Coromant becomes DMG Mori Premium Partner →

  According to a recent story in caradvice.com.au, the Nissan metalcasting plant is not only working but also thriving thanks to the move to electric vehicles. A new contract to supply vital EV engine castings for Nissan worldwide has seen it return to three shifts, seven days a week, with production at the plant increasing … Continue reading Nissan metalcasting expertise defies local car making downturn →

Surdex Steel has installed the latest state-of-the-art Kinetic K5000 plasma processor with a broader range of options for profiling steel plate plus drilling heads for tapping and countersinking. At the same time a K2500 plasma machine has been upgraded to provide even greater capacity with the addition of more plasma cutting heads. Two oxy machines … Continue reading Surdex Steel forges ahead with new installations →