Quickstep restructures its aerospace structures business

Aerospace composites manufacturer Quickstep is to restructure its businesses in response to a slower pace of orders for F-35 fighter jet components through FY25/FY26, cutting manufacturing shifts and staff numbers at its Bankstown headquarters facility in Sydney. The company, which is becoming increasingly involved in drone manufacture as well as maintenance and sustainment activities, will…

Quickstep delivers its 100th drone aircraft

Composites manufacturer Quickstep is gaining new successes in the drone manufacturing business, recently passing its 100th drone delivered for customers Swoop Aero and Carbonix. The Sydney company is more used to manufacturing critical aerospace parts such as wing trailing edges for Lockheed Martin’s C-130J Super Hercules transporter and tail components for the F-35 Lightning fighter…

Towards 3% R&D – Training the innovation workforce by Michael Edwards of Boeing

Our editorial series Towards 3% R&D – Turbocharging Australia’s Innovation Effort – requires a trained and inspired workforce. But how to achieve that? By Michael Edwards of Boeing Research and Technology. Enhancing performance, safety and efficiency of Boeing’s products and services are at the forefront of Boeing’s innovation teams’ minds when developing technological advancements for…

From soft plastics waste to structural building panels

Australian composites manufacturer Sustainable Infrastructure Systems (SIS) has revealed innovative structural building panels made from glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) and discarded soft plastics. The lightweight, high-strength composite panels are the first in the world to be manufactured using post-consumer mixed soft plastics, which are blended with a proprietary material matrix, according to an announcement. The…

Quickstep launches engineering services business

Composites manufacturer Quickstep has launched Quickstep Engineering Solutions allowing companies to benefit from its product development and manufacturing skills. CEO and Managing Director Mark Burgess said the company was thrilled to have productised ‘our incredible engineering offering – product and process design/development, industrial automation and supporting capabilities’. Burgess said: “With over 20 years of expertise…