Chemicals and explosives group Orica has reported strong sales and profit growth for the first half year barely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Melbourne company reported a statutory Net Profit After Tax (NPAT) of $165 million for the six months to 31 March 2020, compared to $33 million in the prior corresponding period. Sales…
Comment by Peter Roberts When I launched our campaign to crowd source a new deal plan for manufacturing on April 14 I was hopeful of a positive response. But I never expected the groundswell of ideas and innovations that we have published day by day since then. The Australian Manufacturing Forum and @AuManufacturing news and…
Deakin progresses sodium battery design Materials scientists at Deakin University’s Institute for Frontier Materials have discovered that super concentrated ionic liquids are key to achieving better batteries that utilise sodium rather than lithium. The new work by ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) PhD student Dmitrii Rakov, combines sodium metal anodes and safe,…
Major manufacturers BlueScope and CSL are among those companies which have moved to shore up their financial defences by securing new debt facilities. The two companies announced yesterday they had raised new debt and extended payment periods to carry them well past any likely end-date for the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic. Biotechnology giant CSL, at various…
New materials developer First Graphene will supply its PureGRAPH graphene product to improve the performance of face masks (pictured) manufactured by planarTECH Holdings. The Perth company will supply the graphene coating to provide anti-static and bacteria resistant properties to the masks, as well as investigating the use of graphene in other personal protective equipment (PPE).…
Automotive manufacturer APV has been awarded a three year US$500,000 contract to supply passenger restraints for BAE Systems military vehicles in the United States. The company’s APV military seatbelts will be used by BAE Systems for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle programme for the US Marines and the Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle programme for the US Army…
Two New South Wales consortia have been selected by the state government to produce prototypes of new hospital ventilators to treat cases of Covid-19. Groups led by the University of Sydney and by Newcastle-based Ampcontrol were selected from five applicants and will produce an initial 10 prototypes each for testing and approval by the Therapeutic…
Comment by Peter Roberts One of the biggest issues with Australia’s love affair with manufacturing offshore in supposedly low-cost locations is habit. Over the long years of the decline of the old protected manufacturers followed by a resources-boosted currency, procurement managers and financial managers alike got used to reflex thinking that buying overseas is always…
A mega-project to generate electricity from renewables in the Pilbara region for export has received approval from Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority, subject to conditions. EPA chair Dr Tom Hatton announced that the proposed Asian Renewable Energy Hub comprising onshore wind turbines and solar panels situated about 220 kilometres east of Port Hedland, with a…
Biotechnology giant CSL has begun development of a blood-derived treatment for Covid-19, known as COVID-19 Immunoglobulin. The Melbourne company believes the product could be used to treat people seriously ill with the complications caused by the virus, particularly those whose illness is progressing towards the need for ventilation. The treatment will be derived from blood…
