Best of the week — the five most popular stories among @AuManufacturing’s readers

What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to this site were reading.

5) VISY ACQUIRES ZENEXUS FOR UNDISCLOSED SUM

Packaging and recycling company Visy announced on Monday that it has acquired privately-owned hardware and storage products supplier Zenexus.

The amount paid for Zenexus was not given, but Visy said it would add approximately $170 million to annual revenues, with the business and all 160 staff at Zenexus to be migrated into the Visy Retail Services division.

Executive Chairman of Visy, Anthony Pratt, said on Monday that, “The purchase will allow Visy to join our sister company Pratt Industries in the US with a dedicated, retail-facing business unit called Visy Retail Services.”

4) HOW PWR WENT FROM F1 TO DRONE TECHNOLOGIES

Drones are one of the hottest technologies gaining traction in defence globally.

On Thursday, as part of @AuManufacturing’s sponsored series reporting on BAE Systems Australia’s Partnering for success defence industry supplier event, we look at the locally designed STRIX drone, and the role played by PWR Advanced Cooling Technology in its success.

Peter Roberts spoke to PWR Advanced Cooling Technology’s General Manager, Advanced Technology, Andrew Scott for the story.

3) BEDFORD’S $45 MILLION ADVANCED MANUFACTURING DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT HUB

Social enterprise company Bedford is to build a $45 million advanced manufacturing hub in Adelaide’s northern suburbs in association with Leyton Property and Leyton Funds.

The joint venture partners have unveiled plans for what is believed will be Australia’s largest social enterprise site, offering employment opportunities in new manufacturing sectors to people of all abilities.

Bedford is the second-largest employer of people with disability in Australia, providing a broad range of services and supports for nearly 2,000 South Australians and 500 staff across 18 sites.

2) FACTORY OF THE FUTURE TOUR

On Wednesday we continued our sponsored series reporting on BAE Systems Australia’s Partnering for success defence industry supplier event, with a look at what could be the future of industry growth centres in Australia.

Peter Roberts toured the Factory of the Future at the Tonsley innovation precinct in Adelaide.

1) DEFENCE PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS – BY PROFESSOR JOHN SPOEHR

Opening in the week, @AuManufacturing continued its sponsored series reporting BAE Systems Australia’s Partnering for success defence industry supplier event.

Professor John Spoehr, Flinders University Pro Vice Chancellor Research Impact and Director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute. looked at burgeoning partnerships in naval ship construction.

In case you missed our podcast…

In episode 59 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we heard from MGA Thermal’s Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer Mark Croudace. Croudace shared some details about MGA’s demonstrator project — the very first large-scale application of its technology — scheduled to launch in July, its approach to innovation, a partnership with knode on Western Australia’s energy shift, and more.