Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Geelong’s Bates turns 30

Geelong-based, family-owned business Bates Pipes & Products, a maker of precast concrete products for the civil infrastructure sector for three decades, has marked 30 years in operation. A profile by Geelong Manufacturing Council (of which Bates is a member) notes that the company was established in 1994 by father-and-son duo Bob and Ben Bates, with Ben a fresh engineering graduate at the time. “From hand-shovelling cement into small pipe moulds to now operating multi-million-dollar automated equipment, the company has come a long way. Today, they manufacture industry-leading reinforced concrete pipes, box culverts, and crown units, supported by in-house structural engineering services” the profile reads. Business highlights include the automation of their concrete batching plant in 2015 and a major upgrade to their pipe factory in 2019, which “helped the business evolve into a leading manufacturer of complex civil infrastructure products with a growing footprint across Victoria and New South Wales.”

Diraq signs LoI to Join Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park as a tenant

Last week the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) announced it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Sydney-based quantum computing business Diraq, with Diraq to join the IQMP as a future tenant. The LOI outlines plans to initially locate at the IQMP’s On-Ramp program, “operating out of a local innovation facility while the campus is under development.” Diraq was recently awarded one of 16 Stage A contracts for the DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, and is attempting to rapidly achieve utility-scale quantum operations based on silicon quantum dot spin qubits using CMOS chip manufacturing. “The Diraq mission is to design, build and deploy the world’s most cost-effective quantum computers, with the most compact footprint, allowing for mass deployment in data [centres] worldwide,” said Diraq CEO and Founder, Andrew Dzurak. “We recently set up operations in Silicon Valley and Boston, and we are looking at suitable options for expanding our presence. The IQMP represents an exciting opportunity that can support our U.S. growth strategy.”

Ampcontrol extends its support for Westpac rescue chopper

Electrical engineering company Ampcontrol has announced the renewal of its community partnership with the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Northern NSW, extending its decade-plus of support for the lifesaving organisation by another year. Ampcontrol announced the extension at a recent  employee fundraising event held in Tomago, NSW. “As a business with over 1300 people, we understand how important the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service is to not only the community, but to our large number of employees, especially those whose roles require them to be in hard-to-reach areas in regional areas,” said Rod Henderson, Ampcontrol’s Managing Director and CEO. The company said its Field Service Technician Zac Picton, was helped by the rescue service after a serious motor vehicle accident while driving on a country road from Gunnedah to Newcastle NSW in 2022.

RCF becomes majority owner of RME

Mill relining systems maker Russell Mineral Equipment (RME) last week announced an investment catalysed by the achievement of a key milestone in the transitional sale agreement entered into with Resource Capital Funds (RCF) in November. This results in the US-based private equity firm RCF becoming RME’s majority shareholder, and includes investment from the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC.) RME’s Founder and Director, Dr John Russell, said the milestone represented a next step to realising his  ambition “to honour the growth and ongoing potential of RME by actively pursuing succession plans for RME.” Russell said he didn’t build RME (established 1985) up intending to sell it, “but at this stage in my life, it was important and  responsible that I actively pursue succession plans for the company that I love, to strengthen its  future, our people’s careers and the customers we serve and keep safe every day… RME entered into the transitional sale agreement following a period of stability and strength to ensure the company would continue to strengthen, in perpetuity.”

Tindo gets top solar panel rating from Choice

Australia’s only maker of solar panels, Tindo Solar, has announced a rating by consumer advocate Choice, seeing it recognised as “the best-performing modules in Australia and the only solar panel where the power output matched the manufacturer’s claim”. According to a statement from Tindo on Monday, Choice tested 15 rooftop solar panels at the end of last year, updating its previous solar panel preview, with Tindo’s 410-watt Karra the only to achieve the “Excellent measured power output” rating as well as an overall 92 per cent Choice Expert Rating. The second-placed panel achieved an 80 per cent Choice Expert Rating. Tindo CEO Richard Petterson said the product review was a validation of the engineering and manufacturing effort carried out at Tindo’s Adelaide factory. “With a workforce of sixty people, we design and build a solar panel that competes with the best in the world,” said Petterson. “Tindo makes a significant investment in its R&D program, and we run an in-house engineering team that is constantly working on product improvements and upgrades. The panel that gained the CHOICE accolade is the eighth generation of solar panel produced by Tindo since the company made its first solar panel in 2011.”

Picture: RME’s Dr John Russell (L) with Head of RCF Innovation and RME Chairperson Andrew Jessett (supplied)