Brisbane electronics manufacturer Elexon Electronics has opened a new state of the art ‘intelligent factory’ to help it enter new markets in defence and aerospace. State government politicians including manufacturing minister Glenn Butcher (pictured, at right) launched our the new facility along with CEO Frank Faller (left). The government supported the investment in automated surface-mount…
Recycling and packaging giant Visy has spent $947 million to buy the Australian and New Zealand glass bottle manufacturing business of global packager, Owens-Illinois Glass. In a major show of confidence in Australian manufacturing, Visy’s owner ad executive chairman Richard Pratt has made one of the country’s largest-ever manufacturing acquisitions – all in the midst…
Advanced composites manufacturer Quickstep Holdings has continued to grow sales during the Covid-19 pandemic according to its results released today for the June quarter. The Sydney defence, aerospace and advanced manufacturing supplier recorded quarterly sales up seven per cent over the previous corresponding period to $24.6 million. Full year sales were up 12 per cent…
Rare earths producer Lynas Corp has ordered long lead time equipment for a new processing plant it is building at Kalgoorlie, a move forced on the company by troubles at its existing Malaysian processing plant. The Perth company operates a mine and concentration plant at Mt Weld in Western Australia for Neodymium, Praseodymium, Lanthanum, Cerium…
Engineering and manufacturing company CR has bought the underground mining business of specialised Bendigo steel casting company Keech Castings. CR, formally known as CQMS Razer, will acquire Keech’s business in underground ground engagement tools including customer contracts, mining products and all associated Intellectual Property. The acquisition includes Keech’s UGET WearPact, ArmourBlade & new SNRG product…
Canberra defence, space and communications business Electro Optics Systems has developed a containerised of its R400 remote weapons station. To date the system, which enables a soldier to fire cannon, machine guns and missiles from a protected location, has only been used on mobile, armoured vehicles. Now EOS Defence Systems USA has demonstrated a containerised…
Advanced materials group PPK has entered the dental technology market with a new joint venture that will develop boron nitride nanotubes (BNNT) for new dental nanocomposites. PPK is partnering with a leading aesthetic dentist and Geelong’s Deakin University to develop a range of new materials with superior physical properties and aesthetic values. This is the…
Thales Australia will manufacture an additional 8,500 EF88 rifles for the Australian Defence Force. The Lithgow designed and manufactured EF88 Austeyr rifle is manufactured under licence from Steyr Mannlicher AG and is in service with 30 countries. The rifle rifle fires standard 5.56 x 45 millimetre ammunition with the latest version delivering increased range and…
The first shipbuilding apprentices to join the Hunter Class Frigate Program have been welcomed to South Australia’s Osborne Naval Shipyard. Eighteen high school students are the first of 1000 apprentices and graduates who will be employed by BAE Systems Australia’s shipbuilding subsidiary, ASC Shipbuilding, building nine new ships. A second intake of 22 students will…
Comment by Peter Roberts Australian Strategic Materials’ (ASM) Korean research and development partner, ZironTech has successfully produced a kilogramme of neodymium metal alloy. While this would normally be seen as a win for Australia the fact that production took place in ZironTech’s laboratory in South Korea rings alarm bells. Neodymium is a critical rare earth…
