Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Wellnex Life gets access to medicinal cannabis market

Health and wellness product company Wellnex Life has gained access to the medicinal cannabis market, with its joint venture partner OneLife Botanicals acquiring medicinal cannabis producer MediPharm Australia. Wellnex hopes to enter the market by the end of 2022 and be one of the first to market with an over-the-counter cannabis medicinal product with Schedule 3 (S3) classification. These products are labelled ‘pharmacist only medicine’ and can be dispensed without a prescription. On achieving S3 approval, Wellnex will be issued with four per cent of OneLife Botanicals. Wellnex Life also announced that the current share purchase plan had been well received and had reached its target.

Quantum information detected using Archer CMOS technology chip

Quantum computing developer Archer Materials has announced that it has been able to detect quantum information stored in the qubits of the room temperature quantum chip it is developing. A qubit is the quantum computing equivalent of a bit of information on a traditional silicon chip. Calling this a ‘step-change advance’, Archer said the chip had been constructed using CMOS technology, which is the predominant technology used in designing today’s semiconductors. The company said this pointed to ‘a potential pathway for the development of practical quantum-enabled mobile devices’. Quantum computers aim to store and retrieve information at the sub-atomic level, depending on the ‘spin state’ of electrons surrounding the nucleus. Archer used a single-chip electron spin resonance detector to detect spin states.

ANCA founders join Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame

Manufacturing pioneers Pat Boland (pictured) and Pat McCluskey have been recognised in the Victorian Government Manufacturing Hall of Fame 2022 awards. The pair co-founded the ANCA CBNC machine tool business in 1974 and were recognised for significant contributions to driving new developments in CNC grinding technology. ANCA started in Pat Boland’s bedroom in Melbourne with the purchase of a $4,000 mini- computer to turn their passion into a business venture. Today, ANCA is known for its long heritage of technical breakthroughs, investing over 10 percent of turnover in research and development to serve their customers in over 45 countries. The Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards celebrate the vital role of local manufacturing and exceptional manufacturers across the state.

Modern Manufacturing Expo to return in 2023

The organisers of last month’s Modern Manufacturing Expo have announced that the event will return next year. The International Exhibition & Conference Group said that the MME will again be held at the Sydney Showground, with September 20 and 21 the dates picked for 2023. (@AuManufacturing was a media partner to this year’s MME.)

Vast Solar eyes US market for its CSP technology

Vast Solar, an Australian developer of concentrated solar thermal power technology, is part of a Solar Dynamics-led consortium that will receive $US 2.3 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office to advance development of CSP. “Funding from the US Government is going to accelerate the development of the technology, ensuring we optimise the performance of tanks so they deliver the best outcomes for users,” said Craig Wood, the company’s CEO. Vast describes its technology as generating “clean, low-cost, dispatchable power, capturing and storing the sun’s energy during the day to be used to generate industrial process heat and electricity at night.” It will be deployed at the company’s first utility-scale power plant, the 30 megawatt Vast Solar 1 in Port Augusta, which has received Australian Government backing of up to AUD$110 million in concessional finance.

Markforged to debut new 3D printer in three Australian cities this month

Additive manufacturing hardware and software company Markforged has announced the Australian launch of its new FX20 large-format composite 3D printer, which it says is “primarily designed for high-strength end-use parts in industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive, and energy.” In collaboration with Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, Australian Industry Group and Swinburne AIR Hub, the company is hosting four launch events in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, with CEO Shai Terem to attend the launch. Guest speakers at the events will include Savic Motorcycles, Central Innovation, and CoreIoT. The events will be held on October 25 (Melbourne, with two sessions), 26 (Perth) and 27 (Sydney.) More information about the launch can be found here.

Picture: ANCA/Pat Boland