Comment by Peter Roberts One of the biggest complaints made by manufacturers is that few young people are interested in a career in manufacturing. But perhaps they are not the probblem? When I was in short pants South Australian schools took children on factory tours, and I can still recall the former Chrysler car plant…
3D printing is rapidly gaining traction in full scale production with news one of the field’s leaders, BMW has printed one million automotive parts. The German company has been using additive manufacturing for 25 years but prototyping is fast giving way to production. The company printed 200,000 production parts this year, a 42 per cent…
BlueScope Steel (ASX: BSL) has purchased new steel coil treatment, galvanising and painting operations to add to its growing presence in South East Asia. The Melbourne company’s Malaysian subsidiary announced it would pay $42 million to buy YKGI Holdings Berhad’s (YKGI) manufacturing facility in Klang, Malaysia. The assets comprise a Push-Pull Pickling Line, Cold Rolling…
Food packaging and processing manufacturer tna Solutions ends the year having opened new factories in Europe and Australia. The Melbourne company has just moved into its newest factory at Boronia in Melbourne, investing $8 million to triple production capacity for its wide range of machines spanning food processing sectors. Earlier this year it inaugurated a…
Government research group CSIRO is investing $35 million in forward-looking research in space technology and artificial intelligence. The investment will include the development of advanced imaging of Earth from satellites, in addition to cutting-edge data science to support the growth of AI technology. The investment is part of CSIRO’s Future Science Platforms which aims to…
Analysis by Peter Roberts. Step-changes in technology are accompanied by the demise of companies and industries, but negative economic effects are almost always outweighed by new business opportunities that emerge. As renewable take hold in electrical generation in Australia numerous companies have been formed or taken the opportunity to diversify. Examples include solar-voltaic panel manufacturer,…
Comment by Forum member Professor Roy Green. Connectivity isn’t everything, but it’s almost everything. Faster, better and cheaper is transforming our daily lives. And connectivity isn’t just about broadband access. It’s also about fast and efficient freight transport. Even in a digital world where so much of what we produce is intangible, Australia’s fortunes as…
Sydney professional audio manufacturer RØDE Microphones has branched out into a fast growing area of media with the release of an all-in-one podcast production studio, the RØDECaster Pro. The RØDECaster creates professional-quality podcasts using its four microphone channels, inputs for all modern devices and advanced sound processing. It is programmable from your computer and livestreams…
Ten Australian companies are in the running to secure major component orders following the selection of General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the RAAF. Defence industry minister, Steve Ciobo announced today the RAAF would buy an Armed Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) version of the aircraft at a cost of up to $2…
Iconic fruit and milk beverage company Nippys has taken the internet of things (IoT) route to improving operational performance at its Moorook facility in the Riverland. The company has teamed up with Australian supplier, Ailytic, implementing IoT sensors and smart factory software to monitor and control availability, performance, downtime and efficiency. Julian Martin, Nippys Riverland…
