Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Elexon achieves aerospace QMS cert

Contract manufacturer Elexon Electronics has announced that it has attained AS9100D Aerospace Quality Management Certification. “We made it! It was a tough journey we boarded for, but we love a challenge” said the Brisbane company in a Linkedin post on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by the Stars Wars quote, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” The certification is part of the company’s push into the defence sector, which has included recent investments in Industry 4.0 equipment totalling a claimed $4 million at its factory in Brendale.

Sleeptite claims collaboration award

Melbourne-based aged care technology company Sleeptite has won the Excellence in Collaboration Award at the Information Technology Across Care (ITAC) Conference. Sleeptite won the award for its work with RMIT University and Sleepeezee Bedding Australia to develop REMi – a world first, non-invasive resident monitoring and alert system. The awards recognise innovative solutions and developments focussed on improving the lives of senior Australians. Sleeptite CEO Cameron van den Dungen saod in a statement, “Sleeptite’s REMi collaboration saw finished product manufacturers sitting at the table with fundamental researchers from the very first product scoping session, and the research and development has been actively led by carers, nurses, and the broader aged care sector. It has truly taken a village to create REMi.”

New Sales VP at EV company

E-mobility company SEA Electric has signed industry leader Bill Williams as Vice President of Sales. Williams has 25 years’ experience in the sector via a range of executive positions, the company said. “Bill has previously presented at the Pentagon, to the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of Energy, while also sitting on the Electric School Bus Steering Committee, among a range of positions that make him a highly valuable addition to the team as we move forward,” said Tony Fairweather, Founder and CEO, SEA Electric. SEA was founded in Australia in 2012, though is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, and maintains a manufacturing presence here.

Qld govt to invest a further $17 million in industry/university collaboration

The Queensland government announced this week that it will invest $17 million “to turn Queensland scientific research into new opportunities for local business, exports and jobs.” Science minister Meaghan Scanlon said during a visit to Queensland University of Technology that the government would up its support of partnerships between universities and industry to accelerate the commercial benefits from this, citing Logan-based BlockTexx and global medical technology company Stryker’s decision to establish an R&D facility at the Herston Health Precinct in Brisbane.

USQ’s space manufacturing hub is hiring

The University of Southern Queensland-led Innovative Launch, Automation, Novel Materials, Communications and Hypersonics (iLAuNCH) Hub, which was awarded $50 million during the May election campaign by the former federal government, is building a team to get it started for its planned four-year term. The hub has taken out newspaper ads and enlisted the help of recruiter Slade Group to recruit an Executive Director, CTO, COO, Associate Director for business development and commercialisation and two Business Development and Commercialisation Specialist roles. iLAuNCH was funded under the Trailblazer program, an initiative of the Coalition government to boost commercial returns from university research. As well as its USQ HQ, the hub has nodes at University of South Australia and Australian National University. More information on the available positions can be seen here.

Picture USQ’s hypersonic wind tunnel facility (image credit USQ)

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