Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Manufacturing summit announces keynote

Organisers of the National Manufacturing Summit have announced US-based economist Adam Hersh as keynote speaker at the upcoming event. According to a statement from Weld Australia, which is hosting the event in collaboration with the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work, Hersh will address the opportunities and challenges presented by Australia’s renewable energy revolution at a dinner event on August 2. Hersh is a Senior Economist at Washington, DC’s Economic Policy Institute think tank. He is currently leading a major research project on the industrial opportunities associated with new green energy policies.

XRF Scientific launches new analysis equipment

Laboratory furnace manufacturer XRF Scientific has launched its new xrTGA Thermogravimetric Analyser (pictured) which builds on the company’s laboratory furnaces and precision weighing equipment. TGAs provide data for moisture analysis, volatiles determination, ash content determination and loss on ignition analysis. The analyser consists of a furnace for heating samples and a precision balance for recording weights. It should have application in XRF’s existing markets determining elemental concentrations in iron ore mining. The analyser could also open new markets for the company in production quality control such as food, plastics and agricultural products. Manufactured in Melbourne, the analyser will be available for delivery in the December quarter.

Babcock appoints Andrew Cridland as CEO

Engineering firm Babcock has announced that Andrew Cridland has been appointed as Babcock Australasia CEO, effective July 1, succeeding the retiring David Ruff. Cridland is currently Babcock Australasia’s Chief Financial Officer and enters the top job in the region following an extensive internal and external recruitment process. Cridland joined Babcock in 2015, and will lead Babcock’s continued growth in the region. The company recently acquired Australia’s Naval Ship Management (NSM) business, and in the past 12 months has secured three landmark contracts totalling more than $1 billion, including Babcock Australasia’s single largest-ever contract to date – a $877 million multi-year programme to upgrade the Australian Defence Force’s Defence High Frequency Communications System.

Q-CTRL breaks ground on new global HQ

Quantum computing company Q-CTRL announced on Tuesday that it is building a new global headquarters in Sydney for its expanding team. According to a statement, the site adjacent to Sydney’s Tech Central Precinct will be “the first standalone commercial quantum technology facility in the country” and support both the commercial leadership of the company and provide the essential infrastructure for quantum sensing research and development. Funding from NSW and federal governments are helping to fund construction of the facility. “Delivering the first purpose-built commercial and research facility for a quantum technology company in Australia – and one of the first in the world – is a huge statement about our leading role in the global community and our ambition to deliver pride and prosperity through quantum technology for all Australians and allied nations,” said said Michael J. Biercuk, CEO and Founder of Q-CTRL. The Chippendale facility is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Qantas and Aviation Australia to train engineers

Airline Qantas has selected Aviation Australia to provide training for engineers in the aviation sector. Aviation Australia will train up to 300 aircraft engineers a year in Brisbane and Melbourne, and a Qantas Engineering Academy will create a pipeline of talent. The academy will train engineers for the Qantas Group but also the broader aviation industry, including general aviation and defence contractors, with a focus on recruiting more women in engineering. Established by the Queensland Government in 2001, Aviation Australia supports the development and growth of aviation and aerospace industries in both the Australian and international markets.

EM secures vanadium rich waste stream from Incitec Pivot

Critical mineral manufacturer QEM has secured a second vanadium rich waste stream from fertiliser manufacturer Incitec Pivot to feed its planned Townsville, Queensland battery grade vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) electrolyte plant. The plant will upcycle waste from IPL’s Mount Isa sulphuric acid plant into the valuable electrolyte for vanadium redox flow batteries for a period of five years with an option to extend. This is the second source of waste secured for the plant – the first source is spent catalyst from Sun Metals’ Townsville Zinc Refinery. QEM is developing a mine at Julia Creek which will be a long-term source of vanadium.

Trajan supports projects in biotechnology and data science

Since 2017, Trajan Scientific and Medical has supported 12 industry projects with The University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Science, in the Master of Biotechnology and Master of Data Science degrees. Projects run for approximately nine months and prepare students for industry. Topics are diverse and range from understanding the commercial landscape of skin cancer diagnostics, to monitoring heart health through blood microsampling by exploring bioinformatics approaches for the interpretation of Metabolomics datasets. Trajan’s CEO, Stephen Tomisich said: “When the faculty first suggested this programme to Trajan, we immediately endorsed the opportunity. In our view, the Masters of Biotechnology program is the ideal degree that introduces the commercial and research challenges that the industry experiences. We’ve embraced the Projects in Biotechnology enthusiastically and over the past 7 years introduced research topics we feel would challenge the candidates but importantly, provide Trajan with a ‘state-of-the-art’ overview.”

Glaciem achieves first commercial deployment of DP-CO2 refrigeration

Glaciem Cooling Technologies has announced the first commercial deployment of its DP-CO2 energy refrigeration system at the new Coles Norwood store. The technology has shown a decrease in peak electricity demand by 24 per cent and and average annual energy consumption by 16 per cent versus conventional
CO2 refrigeration systems, CEO Andrew Weller said in a statement. “This Coles Norwood Project highlights the commercial readiness and suitability for mission-critical refrigeration of Glaciem’s product. It will provide an excellent case study for the performance of the system under real-world conditions.” The system uses carbon dioxide as a refrigerant as an alternative to hydrofluorocarbons, a type of synthetic greenhouse gases that are being phased out. The installation represented the culmination of seven years of R&D, including partnerships between the University of South Australia, the RACE for 2030 Cooperative Research Centre, and Coles.

Picture: XRF Scientific/xrTGA Thermogravimetric Analyser