Business

A.H. Beard celebrates a decade of Premium Sleep in China

A H Beard the 123 year old Australian made and owned sleep wellness company, is celebrating its ten year anniversary as it pioneers the meaning and importance of delivering Premium Sleep in China. Premium Sleep is a concept of sleep that rejects the common misconception that ‘sleep is for the weak’, but rather an essential act that replenishes, repairs, and restores. Wellness is a growing priority for consumers and the demand for Premium Sleep is clear, with the global market for sleeping aids projected to reach $168.98 billion within the next decade. With a growing population, a focus on wellness and a preference for premium brands, China was an obvious choice for A.H. Beard to expand its global footprint. As an indication of its success — ten years on, A.H. Beard now has 50 stores across China and with no signs of slowing down, plans to open 50 more. “When we think of sleep aids, for many of us our first thought will be wearables like Fitbits and Oura Rings, which don’t just track our activity but track our sleep too. But the foundation to unlocking Premium Sleep quite literally is the bed we’re lying on, and this is increasingly recognised by shoppers who are investing in quality mattresses,” said Tony Pearson, CEO of A.H. Beard. A.H. Beard’s Shanghai Green partners in China. A.H. Beard is determined to put sleep back on the public health agenda while simultaneously elevating sleep to its highest experience. Sleep is the most critical recovery period, so extensive research and consideration goes into each handcrafted and Australian made bed. The form, function and origin of every material we use is selected for its ability to achieve consistent, restful and rejuvenating sleep. “While Australia has a strong appetite for A.H. Beard mattresses, we are also appealing to the […]

Q&A:Dr Paul Flachskampf, CEO, INFORM Australia

AI – It’s been around for a while now. What is all the fuss about? Dr Paul Flachskampf: AI is indeed not a new concept, INFORM has been leveraging these advanced tools to optimise business process for decades, but the excitement and “fuss” we see today stem from the significant advancements made in recent years. AI has evolved to become more sophisticated, capable, and accessible than ever before. It can potentially revolutionise various industries by offering powerful decision-making tools, data-driven insights, and automation that were previously unimaginable. As a result, businesses now have a new tool to optimise their operations, achieve higher levels of efficiency, and gain a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving landscape. What are the benefits for businesses using AI? Dr Paul Flachskampf: Businesses using AI can reap numerous benefits, particularly in manufacturing processes. AI tools offer serial manufacturers (in industries like food, pharma, cosmetics, etc.) precise demand planning, robust production schedules, and realistic plans. By planning against limited, real-world capacities such as materials, machines, and personnel, AI optimises the process order, leading to shorter lead times, higher on-time delivery rates (crucial for contract manufacturers), and improved customer relationships. Leveraging the power of Operations Research, Business Intelligence, and Artificial Intelligence, INFORM empowers Australian and New Zealand businesses to streamline operations, resulting in increased efficiency, enhanced sustainability, and improved profitability. With data-driven decisions enabled by AI-driven solutions, businesses experience improved resilience, agility, and productivity. Do you understand the doubts that exist around the technology? Dr Paul Flachskampf: Absolutely, it’s entirely understandable that doubts and concerns surround the implementation of AI technology. AI is indeed a transformative force that can lead to job changes rather than outright job displacement as is so often depicted in the media. Many job roles will evolve, while others might undergo modifications. For instance, […]

Global decarbonisation agenda drives Australian copper and lithium opportunities in Argentina

As the demand for critical energy transition minerals continues across the world, Argentina’s copper and lithium projects are taking off. This provides increased opportunities for Australian mining equipment, technology and services providers, especially those with solutions for decarbonising mining operations and cleaner energy alternatives. Argentina is among the world’s top 15 mining exploration investment destinations. Exploration investment hit its highest level in a decade in 2022. Exports are expected to more than double to $8.6 billion by 2025. Argentina currently has 18 operating mines, 95 projects at an advanced stage and more than 200 in the initial stages. By 2030, 8 projects that are under construction are expected to go into operation. The country’s largest potential lies in its lithium and copper reserves, which are critical to the world’s energy transition path. Opportunities for Australian miners in Argentina Australia is one of the leading countries exploring and investing in the extractives sector in Argentina. Over 20 Australian mining companies have invested in the market. Argentina has the world’s second largest lithium reserves, located in the Lithium Triangle, shared with Chile and Bolivia. It is the world’s fourth largest lithium producer. Two major lithium operating mines (Olaroz and Fenix) currently produce 37.5 k tons of LCE. With new projects coming into operation in the next few years, production is expected to grow to 290 k tons by the end of the decade. Argentina shares the same mountain range (the Andes) with Chile, the world’s largest exporter of copper. As demand for copper grows, investors have started to look on the other side of the Andes. This has created an investment boom in Argentina’s copper sector, with several large-scale projects coming into production in the next years. They include Josemaria, Pachon, Taca Taca, Los Azules, Filo del Sol and Valle de Chita. […]

Sevaan Group to relocate to accommodate growth

Sevaan Group is relocating its manufacturing plant to Smeaton Grange in NSW. Sevaan Group is a dedicated, metal component and product manufacturing firm in Australia. Since 1997, it has grown from a small family business into a leading metal engineering, fabrication and finishing firm. The relocation to Smeaton Grange is in response to the Group’s continued growth. According to David Green, CEO, Sevaan Group, the current premises which are located at Minto in NSW are no longer big enough to accommodate the Group’s immediate and projected growth. Drawing of the new Sevaan Group Facility. “We actually require additional physical space to facilitate investment in new equipment to meet the growth we are currently experiencing, as well as that predicted in the future. Unfortunately, however, our two current sites do not have additional space to give. The move to Smeaton Grange will provide us with some 7500m2 just for production, which is a significant amount of space and almost double what we currently occupy,” explained David. The relocation will also allow the company to integrate its two current operations, the main manufacturing plant and the finishing plant, into one to give the company the platform it requires to deliver its ambitious five-year growth plan. Sevaan Group will construct its new purpose-built facility during the remainder of 2023. Apart from a production area, the plant will also feature a designated state-of-the-art concept and prototyping hub. The facility will also include offices, a seminar room, meeting rooms and a boardroom. “We envisage the new plant will be a flagship facility for our contract manufacturing operation, which incorporates component and assembly manufacturing including sheet metal production, precision machining and finishing operations. We also believe it will provide an excellent working and learning environment for staff,” said David. The Group expects to occupy the new […]

Tech-Central-Innovation-District---Sydney

New report maps Australia’s emerging ‘Silicon Valleys’

The report, ‘The geography of Australia’s digital industries’, released by CSIRO and the Technology Council of Australia reveals emerging tech hubs in Australia. Australia’s digital technology clusters have been mapped and analysed on a national scale for the first time as part of a new report released today by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and the Tech Council of Australia. The report, ‘The geography of Australia’s digital industries’, explores how the geographical concentration of innovation – like Silicon Valley in California – boosts growth and productivity. The report brings together rich data from across the nation to map and describe the range of digital technology clusters currently developing. It found there are 96 digital clusters across Australia, located in every state and territory. These clusters are engines of growth, accounting for 63 per cent of all tech job creation in Australia, even though they cover only 4 per cent of Australia’s geographic area. The report also found there are three types of clusters in Australia. Australia has four superclusters, which are mega groupings of multiple clusters in the same city: the Sydney arc, the Melbourne diamond, the Brisbane corridor, and the Canberra triangle. CSIRO’s acting Chief Executive Kirsten Rose said that understanding these patterns was important as international research shows their many benefits. “The experience globally has shown that firms in clusters grow, employ and innovate at a faster rate,” she said. “We know comparatively little about this in Australia, but what this report tells us very clearly is that geography matters and understanding that geography can help us catalyse growth.” An aerial view of the Tech Central Innovation District in Sydney, showing future-planned buildings. Image courtesy of the Greater Cities Commission of the New South Wales Government. Lead report author and CSIRO principal researcher Dr Stefan Hajkowicz said the report identified […]

CSIRO’s GenCost report reaffirms wind and solar as Australia’s most cost-effective electricity generation

Renewables, led by wind and solar, have retained their position as Australia’s cheapest new-build electricity generation despite a 20 per cent average rise in technology costs, according to the latest GenCost report. The 2022-23 report marks the first time that all technology costs have increased from the previous year since GenCost commenced in 2018. The report highlights industry concerns that the rapid pace of the global energy transition will contribute to escalating cost pressures. This is attributed to the immense scale of manufacturing, raw materials and labour required to develop and deploy clean energy technologies consistent with net zero goals. GenCost modelling projects that technology cost pressures felt in Australia will revert to normal levels by 2027 but are delayed to 2030 in global scenarios where the speed of the energy transition is highest. GenCost is an annual collaboration between CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) that actively consults industry stakeholders to revise domestic electricity generation and storage, as well as hydrogen production costs. CSIRO’s Director of Energy, Dr Dietmar Tourbier, said GenCost’s rigorous scientific and engineering analysis represents Australia’s most comprehensive projection of electricity generation costs. “Australia’s energy challenge lies in the transformation of our existing energy system, while ensuring the continuing delivery of sustainable, reliable and affordable energy as we strive to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” Dr Tourbier said. “This imperative is not only essential for environmental stewardship, but also to maintain Australia’s economic competitiveness in the global market,” Dr Tourbier said. CSIRO’s Chief Energy Economist and GenCost lead author, Paul Graham, said that the COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in lingering global supply chain constraints which impacted the prices of raw materials required in technology manufacturing as well as freight costs. The Ukraine war exacerbated the global supply chain inflationary pressures by raising energy input […]

SmartSat and European Space Agency PIC AUS MN

SmartSat and European Space Agency’s Φ-lab to collaborate on Earth Observation Research

Adelaide – SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (SmartSat), Australia’s leading space research centre, has signed a new agreement with European Space Agency’s (ESA) Φ-lab to collaborate on Earth Observation (EO) research. The European Space Agency’s Φ-lab is a world-leading research centre with a mission to accelerate the future of Earth Observation through transformational innovations and new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and on-board processing. The agreement builds upon SmartSat’s existing relationship with Φ-lab, who supported cosine to develop the HyperScout imager payload. This payload is currently being integrated into the SmartSat-led South Australian Kanyini satellite, following consultations with Φ-lab regarding its Φ-sat-1 satellite mission. The synergies between these missions offer significant collaboration opportunities between SmartSat and Φ-lab regarding onboard intelligence for EO applications, creating a solid foundation for further research activities under the new agreement. SmartSat CEO Professor Andy Koronios, who signed the agreement in Rome, said, “We are delighted to embark on this new chapter of our partnership with ESA’s Φ-lab through this Letter of Intent. Our relationship with Φ-lab has been growing stronger over the past few years through our shared strategic research initiatives in the Kanyini and Φ-sat satellite missions. Φ-lab is at the forefront of Earth Observation technologies, and we are very proud to collaborate with them to further showcase Australian expertise on an international level. This is a testament to the progress we’ve made in our national space industry.” In the picture: (Simonetta Cheli, ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes and SmartSat CEO Professor Andy Koronios). “We have also identified new collaboration opportunities between researchers at the University of Queensland and Φ-lab to develop advanced AI capabilities using hyperspectral satellite imagery. This will create the next generation of predictive intelligence that can forecast and monitor agricultural and environmental activities and disaster events with greater accuracy,” he added. As part of the new agreement, SmartSat and Φ-lab plan […]

Technofast, honoured in Australia’s Top 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers awards

The Technofast team, left, outside their Australian manufacturing facility in Queensland. The company’s problem-solving mindset and innovative hydraulic tensioning technologies have seen them grow to be a valued supplier of safety-enhancing and downtime-saving solutions for the mining, power generation, sugar, oil and gas, and other critical industries A company dedicated to enhancing safety and reducing downtime through hydraulic fastening technologies for the mining, power generation, sugar, oil and gas, and other critical industries, Technofast, has been selected as one of Australia’s Top 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers for 2023. The awards were run by AuManufacturing, and judged by an independent panel with professional manufacturing industry experience, including industrial software and automation, human-centred design, policy, communication, and more. Manufacturing is a major contributor to Australia’s economy, and encompasses more than 100,000 companies and 900,000 employees. The industry experienced a $7.6b growth in earnings (17.8%) in 2021-22, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Technofast’s core range of Australian-manufactured products – hydraulic nuts and hydraulic bolts – are used to provide precise tensioning on crushers, turbines, steel slitters, and a wide range of industrial applications. Technofast tensioners can often turn a job taking days into one that takes just hours, and with less personnel required. This huge saving in downtime and lost production can often more than pay for the investment in the first use, and continue to provide ongoing savings and benefits. And, importantly, safety is enhanced, because there is no longer the risk of hand or wrist injuries from using flogging spanners or torque wrenches in confined spaces. “To us, innovation means problem-solving,” says Technofast Founder and CEO, John Bucknell. “It means looking at a problem that a customer or company is having and finding a new solution to do that particular task better, faster, […]

Out-of-the box thinking lifts mining safety

Hunter Valley-headquartered Hedweld Group of Companies is a recognised global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of products for the mining sector. Its niche products have few market competitors. With humble beginnings as a general fabricator in 1980, Hedweld made the business decision in the 2000s to focus on supplying products to the mining sector. Its aim from the get-go was to improve the safety of workers and operators, reduce machine down-time, and increase productivity in mine maintenance workshops. It has been a winning strategy. Kristy Hedley, Managing Director, Hedweld Group of Companies in the Advanced Manufacturing Workshop. Hedweld managing director Kristy Hedley (pictured) says the company’s core competencies of safety, efficiency, and innovation are evident in the Trilift® range of component-handling equipment, and the Safe-Away range of access systems. “As the size of open-cut mining equipment gets larger, accessing the components for maintenance requires greater reach and weight-handling capacity,” says Kristy. “This is where the Trilift range of component-handling equipment offers unique solutions. New mobile mining equipment comes from the OEM factory and is supplied to site with a simple vertical rung or chain ladder to climb aboard to gain access to the operator’s cabin. Our Safe-Away access systems provide a safer way to access and egress.” Hedweld has strong international patents on its Trilift products, allowing it to distribute them globally without fear of competition. “The challenge is educating customers about our unique products and solutions, regularly described as ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking,” says Kristy. “We help sites understand the cost of performing tasks using traditional and often unsafe methods and assist them to calculate and understand that they can’t afford not to use Trilift products – for reasons of safety and cost-saving.” Hunter Manufacturing Awards (HMA) appropriately awarded Hedweld the Export and Supply Chains accolade for 2022. The […]

Zeta welding and grinding helmets give full-face protection and visibility

Leading international welding equipment manufacturer, Kemppi, has released its new Zeta range of welding and grinding helmets. The Zeta helmets set a new benchmark in full-face protection with a lightweight design and top-of-the-line visibility features. Designed for multifunctional use where the face and eyes need protection, the Zeta helmets provide an excellent work experience for welding, grinding, inspection and cutting processes. With an emphasis on improved visibility and eye protection, the four models within the Zeta range are equipped with the most advanced auto-darkening filter for welding or a wide visor for grinding, along with many other must-have features. Greater visibility and advanced vision features The Zeta welding helmets have a significantly large viewing area with the ADF filter. It measures 110mm in width and 60mm in height. The Zeta grinding helmets feature a large 200 mm high visor with a 180° horizontal view for greater visibility. In addition, the Zeta ADF is an improved version with VISION+ technology increasing the quality of vision and work accuracy. The ADF DIN 2.5 light-state means you can enjoy sharp colours and visibility through the filter when the welding arc is inactive. Lightweight helmets The shell construction of the Zeta helmets is strong and robust but lightweight. This, together with the helmet’s well-balanced design, helps relieve the strain on the neck and shoulders. Excellent balance aids comfort and work accuracy The well-balanced, narrow-shaped design of the Zeta helmets, combined with the perfect weight distribution, offers extra comfort and endurance resulting into better work accuracy. Integrated LED work lights Both the Zeta G200X and Zeta W200x helmets feature integrated LED lights. The user can manually switch the LED lights off and on. Or they can select the automatic button which switches the lights off in bright conditions and then back on to help improve […]

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