Doug Green

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Cleaning up renewable energy

Researchers at the University of South Australia are leading a national push to ensure the dream of renewable energy doesn’t become a nightmare of waste management. Australia has the highest proportion of household photovoltaic (PV) systems in the world, with more than 21 per cent of homes – or around 2.59 million – now possessing a solar energy system. With most PV systems paying themselves off in three to five years, the average 25-year life span of solar panels makes them an excellent investment, delivering a good return for decades after their cost is recovered. Eventually, however, all good things come to an end, and increasingly, industry experts are starting to ask what we’re going to do with all these solar panels when they are due to be replaced. In Australia alone it is estimated more than 100,000 tonnes of solar panels will enter the national waste stream by 2035. Solar energy expert, Professor Peter Majewski, is leading research at UniSA’s Future Industries Institute (FII) to help establish a lifetime stewardship scheme for Australia’s PV industry, ensuring end-of-life strategies are in place long before solar waste peaks. “We have time to plan for this and ensure the processes are in place, but we have to start acting now, as the right practices may take some time to implement,” Prof Majewski says. “There are good stewardship programs in place for products such as paint and tyres in Australia, and we would like to see a similar system in place for solar, where the disposal process is pre-planned as an integral part of the product lifecycle.” While retired solar panels are relatively safe and stable, they are classified as e-waste, meaning they cannot be put into landfill in Victoria. With similar bans likely to follow in other states, the need for alternative […]

Henkel unveils upgraded Innovation and Application Lab in Sydney

New facility targets growth sectors in Australia and New Zealand Henkel Australia has opened the upgraded Innovation and Application Lab in Seven Hills, Sydney. As a global leader in adhesives, sealants and functional coatings, the upgraded facility positions Henkel at the forefront of innovation for key growth sectors in Australia and New Zealand, namely food and beverage, packaging, engineered wood and general manufacturing and maintenance. Daniel Rudolph, President of Henkel Australia and New Zealand, said, “Henkel’s customers are looking for the latest innovations to increase performance and efficiency, and improve their sustainability footprint. The upgrading of our Innovation and Application Lab allows us to test and tailor solutions to meet the requirements of the local market, ranging from the latest in product design and food safety standards to adapting to a circular economy.” Mark Dorn, President of Henkel Asia-Pacific and Global Head of Craftsmen, Construction and Professional Division, Henkel Adhesive Technologies, said, “As a global market leader in the global markets for adhesives, sealants and functional coatings we continue to grow our innovation capabilities across the Asia Pacific. Our upgraded Innovation and Application Lab in Sydney enables us to offer the latest product innovations to the market. From food safety and sustainability for the packaging industry to raising the standards in engineered wood production, we are excited to offer game-changing solutions to our customers.” The Innovation and Application Lab is co-located at Henkel’s adhesive manufacturing facility. This facilitates a rapid transition and reduces the time to market from product concept and development to volume production. Micheal Hajj, Head of Technical for Adhesive Technologies at Henkel Australia and New Zealand, highlighted several advanced technical capabilities of the lab. Using state-of-the-art equipment, the lab conducts performance testing of customers’ samples to meet the international standards for […]

Rio Tinto connects the Pilbara to Asia with new direct freight shipping service

Rio Tinto has secured a new commercial freight shipping service connecting Western Australia’s Pilbara region to the major international shipping hub of Singapore. The service will provide the company with a quicker, cheaper and cleaner alternative to the existing freight delivery route via Perth, helping to drive regional economic development and local job creation. The regular freight service commenced with the arrival of the MCP Graz at the Port of Dampier from Singapore. The vessel delivered essential maintenance supplies for Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s operations in the Pilbara, including rail wagon wheels, wagon parts, oil and lubricants. Future shipments are expected to include tyres for heavy earth moving equipment, conveyor belts, rail wagon and locomotive parts and mining consumables. The service is also open for use by local businesses in the north-west of Australia, providing companies operating in the region with better access to international markets and more efficient movement of freight. Rio Tinto Iron Ore managing director of Port, Rail and Core Services, Richard Cohen, said, “This is an important new service that connects the Pilbara to the rest of the world via the major international shipping hub of Singapore. It will provide a number of benefits by delivering cheaper, cleaner and faster freight to the region. “It is an important breakthrough not only for our business, but it will also provide a great opportunity for the local Pilbara economy by helping to unlock small business growth and supporting job creation.” Rio Tinto expects the service to reduce the lead-time for goods in to the Pilbara by six to 10 days compared with freight via Fremantle. Additionally, it’s expected to provide an annual saving of around three million litres of diesel fuel by reducing road train travel from Perth by more than 3.8 million kilometres. Over time, Rio Tinto […]

Where do you read your news?

-Doug Green, Publisher, Australian Manufacturing News. I read my news on SMH,AFR, The Australian, FT, The Guardian and The Washington Post. I do not read news on Facebook. So no news on Facebook is not a big deal to me. I support the actions of the Australian government, which may well be a wake up call for democracies around the world. Facebook needs to realise that news was one of the few credible ‘offerings’ it providers its followers. A lot of the other stuff they carry is not that relevant. (If I want to know what flavour cake my sister is baking on Sunday I’ll phone her!). We can applaud government for the strong stand they have taken with Facebook. This is bigger than The Ashes or Fitzroy moving to Brisbane. As change is met and challenged with Covid-19, so will be the case with this issue. A new form will develop we will be better off with, leaving us to wonder why we put up with this nonsense from Facebook at all.

Australia launches lunar exploration mission

A collection of South Australian space, remote operation and mining companies are part of a national mission to send nanosatellites and exploration sensors to the Moon in 2023 in a bid to find water and other resources. Fleet Space Technologies is deploying nanosatellites to help develop the global Internet of Things and now a Moon mission. An initiative of South Australian nanosatellite company Fleet Space Technologies, the Australian lunar exploration mission will search for “abundant, accessible water and resources” using adapted mining and space technologies. Named Seven Sisters, the mission aims to cement Australia as a leader in space exploration within the next decade and support NASA’s Artemis Program. Artemis will try and send the first woman and another man to the Moon by 2024. Fleet Space CEO Flavia Tata Nardini said Seven Sisters would use mining techniques to assist NASA in identifying viable water and other mineral deposits on the Moon through an array of sensors on the lunar surface by capturing images of water and mineralisation below. She said this would equip Artemis with the data required to make “prudent decisions ahead of robotic and human exploration”. Nardini said Fleet was already proving its Moon capabilities through its constellation of Centauri nanosatellites, which power a global network of connected sensors and devices. The space startup launched its first small satellites in 2018 on board SpaceX, Rocket Lab and ISRO and has a tracking station an hour outside of Adelaide, South Australia. South Australia is home to the Australian Space Agency and the South Australian space ecosystem has grown in recent years, with collaborations with NASA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the presence of numerous successful startups such as Myriota, Lux Aerobot, and Southern Launch. Nardini said Seven Sisters would be further aided by its first generation of prototype probes. Fleet expects to begin testing the […]

Anatomy of a data-driven supply chain

By Jonathan Attia, Managing Director, Wiise Data is what drives informed business decisions. It’s crucial to have key data points across your supply chain to get complete visibility, and maximise efficiency and resilience. As the Covid-19 pandemic has shown, as soon as there’s an external environmental impact to the supply chain, every facet gets impacted. Businesses have not only had to throw out their forecasts but suddenly experienced major supply-demand issues. Either they had too much stock that was no longer in demand, or they had the right stock that was in demand, but couldn’t keep up with supply. Data is vital in such a situation. Being able to access inventory levels across different locations and warehouses enables business owners and staff to see exactly where they might have extra stock to help supply demand. If you can see exactly what stock is where, you can easily move it around as needed and get it out of the door sooner. Real-time optimisation of your distribution keep both customers and suppliers informed and happy. Data is also important to understand which customers have purchased in the past, and which customers are your top buyers. This enables you to specifically target them with promotions to help get stock out the door faster. For manufacturing businesses, understanding cost of sale is particularly critical to success. You need to be instantly account for changes in shipping fees, for example, so that you’re always selling your products or manufacturing your goods at a profitable level. Profit is key. This means knowing exactly what items you need to produce something, how much it costs to produce it (while taking into account all of the hidden costs such as labour and so on) and how much you should sell it for. To do this, you need the […]

Australian manufacturer develops cutting edge tool for underwater recovery

The custom recovery jaws will assist HEART with underwater recovery missions. Blueprint Lab, an Australian robotics manufacturer, has developed custom jaws for their Alpha robotic arm which will allow for greater grip on fabric when resurfacing underwater drowning victims. This tool was developed for the Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Rescue Team (HEART). HEART are a volunteer group of certified divers from Manitoba, Canada who specialise in emergency water search, rescue and recovery. Using a combination of highly-skilled human divers and specialised technology, they are able to recover victims of tragic drowning accidents from the waterways of their region, including arctic underwater environments. The HEART operators have been using Blueprint Lab’s Reach Alpha subsea robotic grabber to assist them in recovery missions but were having trouble with the intense grip stability required to resurface deceased victims. They got creative and temporarily installed a makeshift DIY nail modification to their grabber in the short term, and then approached Blueprint Lab for an engineered solution. Blueprint Lab’s engineering team began developing and testing a grabber upgrade that would fulfil these specific task requirements, resulting in a new tool specialised for Search and Recovery – the Reach Alpha Special Recovery Tool. As well as looking the part, the Special Recovery Tool is strong, sturdy, and sharp making it an effective solution for HEART’s requirements. The Blueprint Lab team are thrilled to have worked with HEART to ensure their continued mission success. Always keen to rise to the operational challenges faced by partners and customers no matter how unique or challenging. “Here at HEART Team we use the Blueprint Lab manipulator on our VideoRay Pro 5 ROV for body recoveries. We had an opportunity to speak with the folks from Blueprint Lab about our work and the need for a grabber that is more suitable […]

Time for change

Australia is the world’s largest producer of bauxite — the ore that is chemically processed to produce alumina — and has numerous aluminium refineries and smelters across the country. Australia’s dependence on aluminium is evident in all areas of infrastructure — even windows and doors. However, the high energy costs of aluminium smelters are driving the market towards new materials.. Since the first aluminium smelter opened in Tasmania in 1955, the aluminium industry has been a key contributor to the Australian economy. As of 2018, the industry produced 96 million tons of aluminium bauxite. While the volume of aluminium offers opportunities for a range of sectors and products, its production is carbon emitting. Reducing emissions from aluminium production is a challenge of its own but replacing some of its uses with composites can help create more sustainable buildings. Composites such as fibreglass are already used in building applications such as roof, wall and floor insulation — though composite windows and doors are still a rare sight in Australia. Thermal insulation Summer temperatures frequently reach 40 degrees Celsius, so air conditioning is a vital system to help keep buildings cool. In fact, it’s thought that 49 per cent of Australians have some form of air conditioning unit in their homes. However, air conditioning requires a lot of power to run. The average central air conditioning unit uses 3,000 to 5,000 watts of power for nine hours of cooling a day. According to Australian electricity provider Blue NRG, ten per cent of the world’s energy use is spent on air conditioning. A typical home loses around 40 per cent of its energy through windows and doors. If a building’s entry and exit points are not thermally efficient, all that cool air risks — quite literally — going out the door. Aluminium is a […]

A little ray of sunshine as 2021 economic survey points to brighter times ahead

Peter MartinVisiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Suddenly, economic forecasters are optimistic. Six months ago the forecasting team assembled by The Conversation was expecting Australia’s recession to continue into 2021, sending the economy backwards a further 4.6% throughout the year. This morning, in the survey prepared ahead of the Reserve Bank board’s first meeting for the year and an address by the Reserve Bank governor to the National Press Club on Wednesday, the same forecasting team is upbeat. It expects the recovery that began in the September quarter of last year to continue, propelling the economy forward by a larger than normal 3.2% throughout 2021, with growth slowing to more sedate 2.1% per year by the middle of the decade, still well above than dismal 1.7% per year expected six months ago. The unemployment rate is now expected to remain near its present 6.6% throughout 2021, instead of soaring to almost 10% as expected six months ago. But improvement in the unemployment rate is expected to be slow, and as house prices and share market prices climb, most of the panel expect the Reserve Bank to lose its patience and begin to lift interest rates from their emergency lows before the end of next year, ahead of its published schedule. The 21-person forecasting panel includes university-based macroeconomists, economic modellers, former Treasury, IMF, OECD, Reserve Bank and financial market economists, and a former member of the Reserve Bank board. Economic growth Only two of the panel expect the economy to shrink further in 2021. The rest expect the economy to grow, two of the panel by at least 5%, something that isn’t out of the question given that the economy shrank by 7% during the worst three months of the 2020 coronavirus restrictions and clawed back only 3.3% in the three months that followed. Panellist […]

Swisslog and Linfox automation solution recognised by SCLAA

Swisslog’s AutoStore is a space-saving storage and order picking system for small parts The outstanding efficiency and reliability of Swisslog’s AutoStore installation for logistics leader Linfox has been recognised by Australia’s peak supply chain management body, the Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA). Swisslog’s compact and secure AutoStore goods-to-person automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS), installed at Linfox’s new consumer products facility in western Sydney, received Highly Commended in the Best Supply Chain Management category of SCLAA’s annual awards. The ultra-high density AutoStore system accommodates more than 20,000 bins of high value product served by 45 robot wheeled bins in an automatic storage and rapid despatch system occupying a floor footprint of just 700 sq m. AutoStore fast facts Compared with conventional non-automated warehousing, AutoStore systems offer: A 50% increase in picking speed A 60% reduction in inventory storage footprint Inventory record accuracy of more than 99.9%. Faster turnaround times More secure storage (which is important for certain medical or surgical supplies) Easily expandable system Goods-to-person technology – eliminates opportunity for error Flexible design – fits into any existing warehouse Multi-tasking – goods can be simultaneously picked and stocked at the same time Self-optimising – high-frequency bins are automatically organised to expedite picking Controlled access – access to bins is only from ports, reducing product loss Built-in redundancy – each unit and robot operates independently

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Doug Green

About Doug Green

Posts by Doug Green: