The Monash Institute of Railway Technology (IRT), which is advising the development of the federal government’s National Rail Manufacturing Plan, hosted assistant manufacturing minister Tim Ayres on Monday. Ayres – who also visited cutter and grinder tool manufacturer ANCA yesterday to announce a a $3 million grant – is leading development of the rail plan. …
Australian and French defence and foreign ministers meeting in Europe have announced a new collaboration to supply 155mm calibre field gun ammunition to war torn Ukraine. It is understood that French-owned Thales group’s Australian Munitions operation at Mulwala in New South Wales will supply the gunpowder for the manufacture of the shells which will be…
Machine tool manufacturer ANCA will establish a precision manufacturing cell at its Bayswater, Melbourne headquarters, using a grant delivered through the federal government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative. ANCA is a major exporter of complex manufactures, supplying advanced tool-making machines and technology to aerospace, medical, automotive and electronic industries in more than 45 countries. Assistant Minister for…
News that China may restrict exports of solar PV wafers has focused attention on solar PV panel manufacturers, including Australia’s Tindo Solar, which rely on Chinese imported inputs. Here Richard Petterson makes the case for sustainability in solar PV manufacturing and for a bigger role for Australian industry. The term ‘circular economy’ describes the re-use…
An apparent resurgence in the mining sector, as well as investment in product and processes has seen mining equipment supplier Austin Engineering secure a typical full year order book in the first seven months of the financial year. The Perth manufacturer said it had received orders or been awarded supply contracts for more than 210…
By Flavio Macau, Edith Cowan University Potatoes are among Australia’s favourite vegetables. However, we are facing a shortage of processed potatoes, especially of frozen chips. Coles introduced a two-item limit for shoppers seeking frozen potato products. Fish and chip businesses are under pressure and some are outraged McDonald’s is launching a new potato product in…
Canberra defence manufacturer Electro Optic Systems is in active negotiations to supply its remote weapon stations (RWS) and spare parts to Ukraine as it continues to resist Russian invasion. The company confirmed in an investor update that the negotiations covered a ‘significant number’ of the systems which allow troops to operate weapons such as machine…
Composites manufacturer Quickstep is to manufacture an initial run of drone cargo aircraft for European cargo airline Dronamics. The Bankstown, Sydney company announced a contract worth up to $5.5 million to manufacture 10 of Dronamics’ Black Swan fixed-wing aircraft which are able to transport 350 kg at a distance of 2,500 km The unmanned aerial…
With the federal government moving to reform its economic advisory body, the Productivity Commission, attention has turned to the outcome of the PC’s decades-long dominance of policy advice to the government – a fragile and narrowly-based resources-driven economy. Here, Phillip Toner and Roy Green outline why the PC must be fundamentally changed. As federal Treasurer…
ASX-listed semiconductor company BluGlass has used the SPIE Photonics West industry conference in San Francisco to release their first collection of gallium nitride (GaN) laser products. In an announcement on Monday morning (Sydney time), BluGlass said the six products newly-available to commercial customers range across the 405, 420 and 450 nanometre wavelengths and had passed…