USA

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 →

Australian materials handling company Bomac Engineering, known for their Altrac rail system, has announced a partnership with US blast shields manufacturer Blast Control. The joint venture will result in Altrac USA, which will supply the North American market with the Australian-made Altrac system. The synergy between the two companies, operating in distinct fields, came from … Continue reading Australian-made lift system announces US partnership →

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 →