New Western Sydney industrial precinct approved
The NSW government has approved a new industrial precinct, one of 12 planned for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.
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Technologies and tools for a manufacturing transformation: Lessons to shape the future by Carl de Koning
On day two of our new series, aimed at helping businesses transform their operations to compete and grow through new tools and technologies, we hear from Carl de Koning. He lays out eight characteristics important to advanced manufacturers. Over the past 40 years, I have had the privilege of working for three exceptional companies: Air…
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ASM’s ambitious plans to add value to rare earths
Australian Strategic Materials is pressing ahead with its Dubbo, NSW rare earths project with ambitious plans to value-add the strategically important materials in Australia. The company, a subsidiary of listed miner Alkane Resources, is developing the Dubbo deposit containing zirconium, rare earths, niobium and halfnium. These are minerals critical to advanced industries with more than…
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At least 1,241 tonnes of microplastics are dumped into Aussie farmland every year from wastewater sludge
Every year, treated wastewater sludge called “biosolids” is recycled and spread over agricultural land. My recent research discovered this practice dumps thousands of tonnes of microplastics into farmlands around the world. In Australia, we estimate this amount as at least 1,241 tonnes per year.
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Australian team develops, publishes design for low-cost ventilator
A team from Griffith University has developed a low-cost ventilator and published the open-source design on GitHub.
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Austin Engineering reviews South American operations
International mining engineering firm Austin Engineering is reviewing its South American operations following the loss of a key contract due to a mine stoppage sparked by Covid-19. The company told investors a repair contract had been terminated in Columbia by mutual consent forcing the retrenchment of more than 200 employees. Entitlement payouts of $1 million…
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Industry 4.0 implications for the VET system
The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has launched two new ‘good practice guides’ as part of their response to issues raised by Industry 4.0 technologies. The guides lay out frameworks for how best to incorporate essential digital skills into vocational education and training (VET) delivery and to upskill VET educators. The guides Incorporating…
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Technologies and tools for a manufacturing transformation series launch
Over April, we invited the @AuManufacturing and Australian Manufacturing Forum communities to have their say on what policies the sector needs to thrive.
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Technologies and tools for a manufacturing transformation: why it’s important to commercialise new materials by Gary Walsh
@AuManufacturing’s highly successful new deal plan for manufacturing was aimed at Australia’s policy makers. Our new series, crowd sourced advice from our manufacturing community, aims to help businesses transform their operations to compete and grow through new tools and technologies. Here Gary Walsh explains why it’s important to commercialise new materials by taking ideas out of the lab and into industrial reality
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Defence reshores ammunition container capability
A regional Victorian company that has developed technologies to reuse ammunition containers, has signed a $15 million contract with Defence. Pentarch Industrial, based in Wangaratta, Victoria has been awarded a six-year contract to supply, refurbish and recycle ammunition containers. Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said: “Pentarch’s system enables containers to be reused, rather than…
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