February 2018

February 2018

Innovation hub to fast-track Industry 4.0

An innovation hub to help Australian companies make the shift from traditional manufacturing to more advanced, value-added products has opened in Adelaide. The Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation hub in Adelaide is designed to accelerate the national adoption of ‘industry 4.0’ technology among hi-tech and manufacturing businesses, as well as foster research and development. The hub’s February 9 launch in the South Australian capital comes at a time when the nation’s economy is transitioning from a traditional manufacturing base to more digitalised, knowledge-based industries following the closure of Holden’s Adelaide plant late last year, which brought an end to automotive manufacturing in Australia. Professor John Spoehr, Director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute at Flinders University, said the adoption of new age digital technology was crucial due to the highly competitive environment of manufacturing internationally. “Without the automotive industries we need new sectors and new industries that will be at the forefront in the uptake of new technologies,” he said. Professor Spoehr said the hub would enable closer collaboration between educational organisations and businesses to better understand digital technology in new age manufacturing and its impact on the performance of companies and workers. The term ‘industry 4.0’ refers to the growing trend of automation and the use of the Internet of Things, Cloud computing and cyber-physical systems in advanced manufacturing. Situated on the ground floor of the Flinders University building at Tonsley, one of the key facilities at the Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation hub is the modular Future Factory. Made in Germany by technology giant Festo and funded by the South Australian Government, it showcases the latest automation, sensor, monitoring, robotic and cobotic technologies and is one of only a few Future Factories in the Southern Hemisphere. Professor Spoehr said the platform was modularised and could be reconfigured in a variety of ways. “It’s a great education […]

2018 Forecast: Advanced manufacturing remains bullish

Manufacturing in Australia has capped 14 consecutive months of expansion – led in part by the food and beverage industry, according to projections tracking this sector’s performance. The manufacturing sector continued its expansion throughout 2017, notes an index released by the Australian Industry Group (AI Group), Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index. November was marked by strong performance, while mirroring an uninterrupted growth phase that kicked off in October last year. This trajectory was influenced by strong sales, production and jobs growth, and an escalation of exports across emerging and traditional markets. Among the trends, the traditional manufacturing industry will thrive, together with a factory floor adoption of the newer, more advanced manufacturing technologies. The AI Group notes that manufacturers are in a “rebalancing act,” marked by pockets of growth in food, beverages, groceries, and specialist machinery. The other sectors incorporate pharma, building materials, industrial textiles and furniture. Advanced manufacturing is defined by an ability to blend the skills of a multidisciplinary team, leveraging internet and emerging technologies, and capturing customers’ needs to deliver innovative products and services. This roadmap is also highlighted at the 2nd Annual Industrial Internet 4.0 Summit being held 21-22 February in Sydney. With a line-up of 30+ speakers and industry partners, this dedicated forum highlights core trends, and reflects industry forecasts, among these: INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS (IIOT) AND AUTOMATION The future of manufacturing is influenced by the industrial internet of things (IIoT), robotics, automation, sensors, connected devices, big data, analytics, and mobile apps. Manufacturing is entering a phase of restructuring. This blueprint recalibrates cumbersome business processes, embraces automation, and adopts the more advanced techniques to improve productivity. On the automotive front, local manufacturers compete with low-cost imports. This sees a trend in moving production overseas, especially to Asia, while managing the overheads and reducing pressures on the bottom […]