Miner Rio Tinto and steel producer BlueScope will work together to explore low-carbon steelmaking pathways using Pilbara iron ores, including the use of clean hydrogen to replace coking coal at BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to research and design low-emissions processes for the steel value chain,…
Contract manufacturing group Entech Electronics and Brisbane diagnostic company Ellume have shown that when it comes to long production run electronics manufacturing, the old prejudice that Australian manufacturers have to offshore production to compete no longer holds true. Ellume, which automated its factory in Brisbane to make the company’s Covid-19 rapid antigen test with the…
Metal additive manufacturer Conflux Technologies has raised $8.5 million to boost capabilities and buy new equipment in a series A investment round. Investors Germany’s AM ventures and Australia’s Acorn Capital backed Conflux which uses metal additive manufacturing (AM) to improve heat exchangers for automotive, aerospace, energy and defence use. AM Ventures provided initial seed funding…
Consumer IoT device manufacturer Zimi Ltd has reported on its best-ever quarter to the end of September when it booked $521,000 in customer receipts for its devices. The company sells a cloud connected dimmable light switch, fan controller, garage door opener, and power points, all connected and operated via its Zimi app (pictured). The company…
A $3.5 million Australian Army project to develop a convoy of autonomous trucks that use technology to ‘follow the leader’, reducing the need for troops and the risks they face, has successfully completed a series of road trials. The autonomous leader-follower vehicle technology, using modified Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles–Australia (RMMV-A) trucks, was developed under a contract…
Australia’s ageing offshore oil and gas infrastructure faces $50 billion in costs with a high powered advisory committee established by the Centre of Decommissioning Australia (CODA) to address the challenges and maximise business opportunities involved. Six industry leaders have been appointed to an advisory panel including experts from ExxonMobil, Santos, Baker Hughes, IAS Group and…
A novel oyster farming system developed by New Zealand manufacturer FlipFarm Systems has helped Coffin Bay oyster farmer Angel Seafood report record revenue in the September quarter. Reporting sales of Pacific oysters of $2.7 million CEO Zac Halman said stock levels had improved, mortality rates had fallen and sales were up with prices rising. This…
Graphene development company Sparc Technologies and the University of Adelaide have joined forces to develop ultra-green hydrogen that can be manufactured without electrolysis and solar PV and wind energy. The two will form a joint venture company Sparc Hydrogen majority owned by Sparc to develop the technology that produces hydrogen through the use of a…
Defence, space and telecommunications manufacturer Electro Optic Systems has clawed back most of the customer payments for its biggest defence contract delayed due to Covid-19, but nonetheless been forced to slash profit outlook for the current financial year. The Canberra company cut guidance for underlying operating profit (EBIT) for FY22, excluding costs associated with its…
Since Beijing moved to curtail Australian exports to China in May last year – not of course our coking coal and iron ore on which China depends – manufactured exports have mostly managed to avoid much of the pain. In the three categories – wine, meat and copper – that are manufactured or substantially transformed…
