December 2021

How Covid has changed Australian manufacturing

The pandemic has had a dramatic, global-scale impact on a variety of businesses and manufacturing has certainly not been spared. However, while manufacturing in Australia is the subject of a targeted $475 million government drive to boot a dwindling industry, the country’s unique management of the Covid crisis has had some startling results. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the country had managed to stabilise and begin to rebuild the total number of manufacturing jobs between 2015 to early 2020. Even with the disruption of Covid and the loss of 56,600 jobs in the latter half of 2020, the industry has not been as severely affected as most others. The Alternative Path of a Pandemic Recession Previous Australian recessions have seen large declines in a variety of manufacturing industries. These include textiles, clothing, footwear, passenger car assembly and more. Recession during Covid has brought a very different landscape – mainly driven by the activity restrictions that have hit industries such as hospitality, travel and the arts the hardest. Manufacturing that concentrates on areas that support these related industries, such as beverage products and pulp, paper and converted paper products, have reported job losses of 10.2 per cent and 8.1 per cent respectively for the period from 14 March to 19 September 2020 (according to ABS-ATO payroll data). This can be directly attributed to the closure of restaurants and hospitality venues for the former and the rise in home working for the latter. Conversely, the manufacturing of chemical and chemical-related products – for example, hand sanitiser and pharmaceuticals – has increased over the same period. The demand for personal care items and health supplements has risen, with many of these being made by local manufacturing firms. A Shift from Global to Local One marked change that can be directly attributed […]

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PNY launches new PNY XLR8 PS5 SSD Heatsink

PNY are seeing a significant uptake of their XLR8 CS3140 M.2 NVMe Gen4x4 Solid State Drive which not only delivers next-generation speed and ultra-high performance, but is proving to be the ideal entry upgrade for the PS5 in Australia and New Zealand, where they have also just launched their new PNY XLR8 PS5 SSD Heatsink. XLR8 CS3140 M.2 NVMe Gen4x4 Solid State Drive product highlights Designed for gamers 13 times faster than SATA based SSDs Transfer speed up to 7,500 MB/s Faster boot-up and quicker application launch Better overall system performance, reliable storage Low power consumption, cool and quiet operation PNY’s quest is to develop the absolute ultra-fast internal storage to answer today’s demands of 4K and 8K content creators, high-intensive applications and ever more demanding games, lead to the launch of the company’s first PCIe 4.0 Solid State Drive. With the ever-growing support from CPU and motherboard manufacturers to the latest NVMe Gen 4.0 protocol, it is critical to have a supporting SSD that, when combined, will bring intensive users to a true Gen 4.0 level and deliver the performance and experience they ultimately demand. Delivering the future of ultra-high performance and next-generation speed today, the CS3140 offers sequential speeds1 of up to 7,500MB/s Read and 6,850MB/s Write that accelerate productivity and elevate the gaming experience to a whole new level. Key features • Next generation in speed of up to 7,500MB/s Seq. Read and 6,850MB/s Seq. Write • Enhanced bandwidth that allows for extreme performance and low latency, making it superior to SATA and NVMe Gen 3 based SSDs • Lower power consumption that results in greater energy efficiency • Greater endurance due to the drive’s ability to withstand extreme conditions and to retain data even when dropped. Product Specifications: • PCIe 4.0 interface (NVMeGen4x4), supports NVMe1 .4 • Form Factor: M.22280 • Speed1: up to 7,500MB/s Read and up to 6,850MB/s Write (vary by model) • 1TB2, […]

A wicking good idea for water conservation in the garden

A Gold Coast garden and agricultural specialist has just sold its innovative water saving system to the United Arab Emirates in its quest to help transform deserts into thriving market gardens. The Aqualess deal with the Middle East using WaterUp wicking cells, designed and manufactured in Australia, is the latest coup for the Gold Coast company and its revolutionary system. The Aqualess system grows produce using 80 per cent less water than traditional horticulture and cuts agricultural watering times by as much as 90 per cent. Aqualess owner Paul Jones said the Woongoolba-based business had only been operating from the Gold Coast for the past 12 months but was part of a new wave of water-saving agricultural methods in high demand globally. “It’s a revolutionary thing happening all around the world. This is something that allows people to start green deserts and remote areas,” Jones said. “For example, if you were watering your garden vegetables, you’d have to water them every second day pretty much, but you can leave this for weeks. “Your garden is getting moistened from beneath so it’s better than from above. It encourages plant growth, and you get much bigger and better crops for a fraction of the time you would have to normally spend watering a garden.” The WaterUp wicking cells made by Gold Coast company Aqualess. Aqualess spokesperson Rosemary Charles said the system turned wicking on its head, using recycled products to ensure that water and air were underneath the plant to provide a consistent amount of water to a plant for quick, consistent growing and nutrient-dense produce. “We’ve only been seriously in the market up here for around 12 months. Already we are exporting to Canada and Iran and now the Middle East,” Charles said. “There are so many uses for it, rooftop […]

The benefits of prototyping using Additive Manufacturing

Prototyping parts is crucial in product improvement projects or when developing new components for industrial manufacturing companies. There is an implicit commercial imperative to generate prototypes rapidly on a repetitive basis for ongoing testing and evaluation. This usually includes integrating tolerances and parts specifications approaching that of the desired final component. The traditional approach to manufacturing prototypes involves creating moulds, assessing a broad range of different materials and assembling parts, usually using several production operations from numerous separate pieces. This can equate to a relatively high cost and require long lead times. The process may also impact project justification initially or delay the availability of prototypes and ultimately, the final component. Additive Manufacturing (AM) – the 3D printing of metallic and polymer, carbon composite parts – is a commercially favourable alternative to traditional prototyping as small volumes can be produced quickly and at lower cost. The creation of parts by layering materials also provides considerable creativity and control over the final shape when compared to traditional methods. Plus, prototyping production times are generally drastically reduced from weeks to hours in most cases. Contemporary developments in printing speeds, technologies and material capabilities have combined to make Additive Manufacturing a viable alternative to traditional methods, offering a competitive edge in product development. There are various printing technologies available, selection of which depends upon a number of factors to achieve optimisation of part cost and quality, but generally base material powders of the material are laid down in microscopic layers, fused within the shape of the part and gradually built up layer by layer to form the finished component. Accuracy is extremely high and complex internal geometries are easily facilitated. The final components can also incorporate post production finishing processes to achieve prototype specifications that meet company requirements. A few additional benefits obtained […]

RS Components helps industries get ahead with the Industrial Internet of Things

RS Components has announced a broad range of industrial electronics solutions supporting designers and engineers to meet increasing and evolving electronics demands. Featuring brands by market-leading global manufacturers, the RS industrial electronics solutions offering includes the latest parts and components for designers and engineers creating smart devices and embracing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) to deliver connected solutions for businesses, factory floors, and various industrial environments. Some popular and locally stocked products in Australia and New Zealand include sensors, power and circuit breakers, semiconductors and dev kits as well as test and measurement instruments from leading global brands including Schneider, TE Connectivity, Fluke, Phoenix Contact, Raspberry Pi, and more. Products from the range equip engineers with the tools to unlock productivity through IIOT. High-performance and high-precision tools comply with worldwide standards, and aid in detection and measurement, smart automation, and precision monitoring. Engineers are at the forefront of developing solutions that allow organisations to make informed and timely decisions. Harnessing IIOT enables manufacturers and industrial sectors to have better insight and sharing of data, enabling efficient plant maintenance and process improvements. “With locally-stocked products, we offer reliable access to industrial electronics solutions to help organisations innovate and get ahead swiftly. RS teams are also committed to working closely with customers who are just beginning their IIOT journey,” says Sean Fredericks, President, Asia Pacific at RS Components. Engineers looking to strengthen their IIOT capabilities can now access a reliable stock of over 650,000 industrial and electronic products, sourced from over 2,500 leading suppliers, on the RS websites for Australia and New Zealand. For more information on the expanded products visit: https://au.rs-online.com

Gold Coast yacht manufacturer sells out of orders for next three years

The multi-billion-dollar global luxury boat industry is experiencing such a boom brought on by the pandemic, that it is fuelling a burst of new locally designed and produced motor yacht models, as well as sales and exports. Offering the freedom to escape home-based lockdowns, circumnavigate international travel restrictions, and holiday by avoiding crowds, the return of premium yachts has been one of the striking global trends to emerge from Covid-19. Family-owned luxury yacht manufacturer, Maritimo, is based within the Gold Coast’s Marine Precinct – one of the most advanced and highly respected marine clusters in the southern hemisphere. Maritimo said interest from buoyant domestic and international markets had exploded in the past 18 months. Maritimo Director of Design Tom Barry-Cotter said the boatbuilding giant was positioned to experience 20 per cent annual growth year-on-year over the next three years, with orders for new motor yachts sold out beyond mid-2024. “Everything from web traffic to enquiry and sales figures are at record highs,” Barry-Cotter said. He said two key factors were driving growth – a strengthening global economy and Maritimo’s large scale new model roll-out. On the back of rising wealth, the global market for luxury craft is projected to jump to US$84.7 by 2027. This is up from US$64.1 billion in 2020 when the Covid crisis began, according to the latest Yacht Industry Global Market Trajectory and Analytics report. “Boating is a safe, family-friendly activity and has certainly become an ideal alternative to international recreational travel during the past 18 months,” Barry-Cotter said. Even from markets where travel wasn’t so heavily restricted, such as the United States, Maritimo was experiencing record sales and enquiries, he said. “We are seeing record interest and sales from Australia, New Zealand and North America,” he said. “Over 50 per cent of our production is […]

New General Manager for DECO Australia

DECO Australia is pleased to announce that Richard Hamber has been appointed as the company’s new General Manager. As a growing Australian family business, the restructure and new appointment comes as long-serving General Manger and family member Meika Doonan moves into a Strategic Advisory position from mid next year when she returns from maternity leave. Richard brings intimate knowledge of DECO Australia and their range of building products and finishing technologies from his previous positions as Research & Development Manager and Industrial Business Manager. He also brings extensive industry experience having previously held roles at the Australian Window Association for over seven years, which included the management of the Window Energy Rating Scheme, development of energy efficiency tools, assessing changes to energy efficiency compliance and working on sustainability related projects. A graduate of the Standard’s Australia ‘Young Leaders Program’, Richard has also participated in numerous national and international bodies including QualiCoat, the Australian Institute of Surface Finishing and Environmental Product Declarations. I have no doubt that Richard will continue to drive DECO Australia forward as we expand and grow well into the future said Ross Doonan, Director DECO Australia. “He has a fantastic understanding of our business and its core values, a great eye for design and innovation, and will bring great structure and focus for our team to drive DECO’s continued success.” DECO Australia is a family-owned Australian business and leading manufacturer of architectural building products, splashbacks and signage, as well as surface finishes and protective coatings and pre-treatments for applications within the automotive, engineering, cookware, medical and defence industries.