Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

RM Williams expands Australian manufacturing Iconic bootmaker RM Williams has increased local manufacturing since the takeover of the company by interests associated with Perth billionaire Andrew Forrest, according to media reports. The company told afr.com that about 70 per cent production by revenue is now manufactured onshore, up from about 60 per cent two and…

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Fortescue buys energy and industry company, forms FFI Ionix

Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) has acquired the commercial assets of green hydrogen technology companies Xergy Inc and Xergy One Ltd to form FFI Ionix Inc. Based in the United States, FFI Ionix will commercialise hydrogen production technologies, including ion exchange membranes for water electrolysis, electrochemical compression, water transmission and fuel cells. FFI Chief Executive Officer,…

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Rio Tinto and BlueScope combine for low-carbon steelmaking

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,…

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Entech Electronics in long production run manufacturing breakthrough

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…

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Conflux Technology raises $8.5m to expand

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…

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