New Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence opens at Heidelberg

A new Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence at Melbourne Polytechnic’s Heidelberg campus was opened on Monday. The new $3.2 million facility was described as “next-generation manufacturing training centre” that would train Victoria’s next generation of engineers on “technology in robotics, 3D printing, and computer design will support a range of industries including biomedical, defence and…

Renewable fuels being overlooked in rush to electrify, says Bioenergy Australia report

According to a new report released by Bioenergy Australia on Monday, the nation faces “environmental, economic and energy security risks” unless governments encourage a renewable fuels industry. The Transitioning Australia’s Liquid Fuel Sector: The Role of Renewable Fuels report (linked) considers decarbonisation “where electrification is impractical”, including transport, mining, agriculture and construction sectors, which represent…

SPEE3D to go to work in sub-freezing conditions after success in US challenge

SPEE3D has been named a winner at the recent US Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology (OSD ManTech) “Point of Need Challenge”. SPEE3D is an Australian-based company specialising in cold spray additive manufacturing technology. This uses metal particles shot out of a nozzle at supersonic speeds, fusing together to build near-net shape components.…

There’s a buzz about ‘sustainable’ fuels – but they cannot solve aviation’s colossal climate woes

By Susanne Becken, Griffith University; Brendan Mackey, Griffith University, and David Simon Lee, Manchester Metropolitan University The global airline industry is fast recovering from the unprecedented pause to flying imposed by COVID-19. In some parts of the world, such as the Middle East, airlines are even expanding rapidly – well beyond pre-pandemic levels. But how…