Business

Archer turns graphite into graphene

Archer Exploration Limited’s (ASX: AXE) independent collaborations between The University of Adelaide and Flex-G Pty. Ltd (FlexeGRAPH) have proven successful in developing graphene materials using a number of different approaches, including publicly available and proprietary methods. The University of Adelaide has developed materials including graphene powder and graphene oxide from Archer’s Campoona graphite using publicly available chemical and mechanical exfoliation processes. Alternatively, FlexeGRAPH has successfully prepared a water-based graphene material dispersion using proprietary methodology involving surfactant assisted exfoliation.Archer CEO Dr Mohammad Choucair commented: “We are confident in our capability to provide high-quality graphite that is process agnostic in the production of graphene. Regardless of avenue taken, our Campoona graphite resulted in graphene materials that demonstrate the structural integrity suitable for high value applications. The work with The University of Adelaide and FlexeGRAPH highlights our continued and successful collaborative efforts and provides Archer with commercial opportunities to develop high-value graphene integration solutions in an emerging and growing graphene materials market.” Results of the technical analysis, performed at the world-class Australian Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis at The University of Sydney and The University of New South Wales Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, confirmed that the graphite from the Campoona deposit could be used to produce multiple graphene-based products from a number of different methods. This is critical for value-add applications and high-quality graphene production using graphitic feedstocks in the targeted areas of reliable energy, human health, and quantum technology. Graphene materials and technology are emerging with the potential to broadly impact existing markets that service the electronics and additive manufacturing industries. Graphene material sales and device integration are expected to form part of the market value potential of approximately US$70 billion by 2030.

Geelong “Procurement for Innovation” initiative

Austeng is part of a consortium that won a tender for 100-year maintenance-free pedestrian bridges for the regional city, beating seven other tenderers. Traditional bridges of timber/steel/ concrete cost half a million dollars annually in maintenance and repair costs, according to Geelong’s council. The new carbon fibre-reinforced geopolymer bridges are the result of a collaborative project between Austeng, Deakin University’s Carbon Nexus centre and Rocla. Construction on the first two bridges is expected for this year. The tender was the first in Australia to be offered using a Procurement for Innovation process, which aims to encourage the development and viability of clean technology – economically viable products that harness renewable materials and energy sources while reducing emissions and waste – using the substantial buying power of public sector procurement. The Procurement for Innovation process was enabled by Cleantech Innovations Geelong, an alliance of business and industry which aims to establish Geelong as a Centre of Excellence for clean technology in Australia by attracting investment, creating jobs and building skills. It is jointly developed through the state government’s Manufacturing Productivity Network, the Geelong Manufacturing Council and the City of Greater Geelong’s Future Proofing initiative. Great to see a government using procurement to help bring a new Australian innovation into the world, rather than buying an off-the-shelf solution. Congratulations to the winning team.

Australia must embrace transformation for a sustainable future

Judy van der Velden/Flickr, CC BY-NC Shirin Malekpour, Research Leader in Strategic Planning and Futures Studies, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Last Friday, the Australian government released its first report on our progress towards meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. These 17 goals are a call to action to ensure economic prosperity and social inclusion, while protecting the planet. They cover issues ranging from health to reducing inequalities and clean energy. According to the report, Australia has made some steady progress towards most of our goals. However, to achieve the goals in just 12 years from now, we need transformative actions. These are missing in the report. Without a strong vision and new models of partnership between government, industry and communities, we will not meet the 2030 deadline. What the report says In 2015, most of the world’s nations signed up to the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda. In July this year, Australia will present its first voluntary review of progress towards the goals at the UN. These reviews are a crucial component of accountability. Australia’s Voluntary National Review (for which I facilitated a consultation workshop to give input from the university sector) is a showcase of policies, actions and initiatives from across different sectors that are, in the report’s language, “relevant” to achieving the goals. The report highlights that Australia is a prosperous and generally healthy country. But it also acknowledges significant challenges, such as improving the health and prosperity of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and helping workers in the resources or manufacturing sectors who are facing technological and industrial transitions. The report highlights that local councils, statutory authorities, businesses and universities are taking actions that are explicitly aligned with the global goals. For example, a number of Australian universities have signed a […]

Embrace the fourth industrial age—or become a backwater

By Albert Palazzo The world is on the cusp of a new industrial age—the fourth. As with previous industrial ages, those who embrace it first stand to become the dominant powers of the future and will seize the right to set the rules that define the age. Those that are late to the party will struggle to secure their place and avoid a decline into humanity’s future backwaters. Australia has a choice to make: whether to undergo the social, political and cultural disruption that will result from the embrace of emerging technologies, or to continue to support an economy based on the status quo. In making this choice, Australia will also determine its security future. One of the likely changes of the fourth industrial age to which Australia will need to adapt is the decline in relative value of primary resources and manufactured goods compared to information. The rapid growth of additive manufacturing (3D printing) demonstrates this point. 3D factories, using very few staff, are coming into existence. These factories have certain advantages over current means of production. Being additive, 3D printers are very efficient and require less feed stock—iron ore for example—than traditional subtractive manufacturing. They can also be located anywhere, and be arrayed as individual units or in their thousands. That will promote distributed manufacturing. Many countries in Asia, including China, have chosen to lift their people out of poverty by becoming the manufacturer to the ‘Walmarts’ of the world. That model will come undone when every Australian, European, American and even Asian home has a 3D printer with which families can print whatever they want, from food to high-quality clothes and beyond. Value will cease to reside in the product, but will be found in the design. And as the economic foundations of the developing world fail, instability and social collapse […]

Are you a future-ready manufacturer?

Greg O’Loan, regional vice president, ANZ for Epicor Software Corporation For manufacturers to compete successfully in the face of cheaper overseas competitors, it’s essential to look to technologies that can offer improved processes, increased efficiencies, and substantial cost savings. Before businesses can determine whether they’re a future-ready manufacturer, they need to understand exactly where their business sits today, where it could be in three to five years, and how the business can embrace innovation and automation. This requires a time investment to create a roadmap. However, this investment will pay off as the business becomes truly future-ready and can leverage new and emerging technologies to compete more effectively. At the very least, tackling these tough questions will put organisations ahead of competitors who are consumed with putting out today’s fires rather than focusing on growth opportunities. Manufacturers that don’t invest in breakthrough technologies will be rendered irrelevant and, more often than not, it will happen at a much faster rate than they ever could have dreamed possible. It’s important to address this significant business risk sooner rather than later by embracing ways to work smarter and more efficiently. The next generation of manufacturers can’t afford to sit on the sidelines. Future manufacturers will need to be aware of how the world is changing, pay attention to economic and geopolitical forecasts, and invest in technology. While innovation is important, the key for the average manufacturing plant looking for a toehold is knowing your customers and their needs just a little bit better than the competition does. The opportunities for growth have increased recently and the Australian manufacturing industry is set for a resurgence. It has added 40,000 new jobs in since June 2016, and increased the value of Australian-made goods sold to international markets by more than $20 billion since 2009. […]

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Konica Minolta at National Manufacturing Week

Konica Minolta is offering manufacturers a first look at revolutionary technology that will propel them into the future at National Manufacturing Week, from May 9-12 in Sydney. Konica Minolta is offering manufacturers a first look at revolutionary technology that will propel them into the future at National Manufacturing Week, from May 9-12 in Sydney. Marc Brandon, 3D and Robotics Marketing Manager, Konica Minolta, said, “Konica Minolta is showcasing a new wave of technologies for Australian manufacturers that will accelerate operations and reshape businesses. These technologies – spanning additive manufacturing, material sciences, software, and robotics – are advancing and intersecting at such a rapid rate that they are for the first time, a reality for industry-leading organisations.” Konica Minolta is partnering with 3D SYSTEMS to make 3D production a reality for the Australian manufacturing industry, with the new Figure 4™ system. This new, high-speed digital moulding system will redefine manufacturing by accelerating production, automating manufacturing processes and producing flexible and scalable production, through a new processing technology known as Digital Light Printing (DLP). In an Australian-first preview, Konica Minolta will showcase the 3D SYSTEMS Figure 4 Standalone system, part of a wider family of Figure 4 technologies, at National Manufacturing Week 2018. These cutting edge DLP systems, deliver the industry’s first scalable, modular, fully-integrated 3D printing platform with ultra-fast speed, enabling throughput improvement up to 15 times and up to 20 per cent lower parts cost. Matthew Hunter, National Manager 3D, Konica Minolta said, “Konica Minolta is already engaging with industry and organisations that are willing to partner with us in bringing this and other additive manufacturing production systems to the market. By working together, we can expedite its arrival, while leveraging Konica Minolta’s industry leading support capabilities, to the benefit of all manufacturers in Australia.” Another technology that is making […]

Top practices for a top-performing production floor

Quality is an area where local businesses can excel. The Australian manufacturing industry continues to face significant challenges that mean businesses need to find ways to evolve and outperform their competitors to remain viable. Competition from overseas manufacturers with lower costs and a strong Australian dollar have put pressure on local businesses in recent years. “However, there are signs the Australian manufacturing industry could be set for a comeback with manufacturing jobs increasing by 40,000 in the last 12 months. (1) This suggests Australian manufacturers have found new ways to compete and prove their relevance,” said Greg O’Loan, regional vice president, ANZ for Epicor Software. The most successful manufacturers tend to concentrate their efforts in three key areas: 1. Production planning and scheduling Manufacturers must first plan what products need to be produced to satisfy existing orders, then when these products can be made. There are four ways manufacturers can maximise production: Define existing capability for production: a realistic assessment of production capacity includes factors such as the availability of machine time, the flexibility of the various types of machines for different tasks, and the availability of skilled labour within the organisation. Improve accuracy of production scheduling: organisations must continuously refine both manufacturing processes and the time allocated to them. This may be achieved by storing the load time (the amount of time it takes for production) for each job operation and recalling this to improve scheduling accuracy for future quotations as well as for actual production. Use technology to enhance production control: an accurate schedule should be available not only to those in production planning, but also to people on the shop floor who may be actively managing or producing products. An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system has these capabilities and is flexible enough to accommodate changes. Communicate the […]

Advanced manufacturing hub opens in Geelong

The Victorian Government is bringing more manufacturing jobs to Geelong, with the official opening of the industrial innovation and accelerator hub, ManuFutures. The Victorian Government has invested $3 million towards the $13 million project to create a future for Geelong’s manufacturing future. The facility will focus on creating new products and driving the region’s transition to advanced manufacturing by leveraging Deakin University’s industry-focused research expertise. The new facility includes flexible manufacturing production space, lab space, serviced offices, reception, and meeting areas. Tenants will also benefit from co-location with Deakin University and have access to research teams, student placement programs, specialist technologies and equipment through various Deakin centres. So far, seven tenants have been secured, including Insight Engineering, HeiQ, Flaim Systems, Partington Advanced Engineering, FormFlow, Conflux Technology and The Smart Think. SEA Automotive has also been confirmed as a partner organisation.

An Aussie car maker – can it really be done?

It’s at least interesting to see another company floating the possibility of making cars here. ACE Electric Vehicles plans to make EVs in Nth Queensland, and says it can manufacture here at volumes of 10,000 a year. ACE says it will release its first vehicle by the 3rd quarter, with parts made in China and assembled here. “They are shipped to Australia and put together like Ikea,” MD Greg McGarvie told the SMH. Mr McGarvie said once demand increases all manufacturing will shift to Australia. “Once we hit around 10,000 units a year we can shift all building and manufacturing to Australia.” After the sad end of Tomcar, success would make it the country’s only car manufacturer. ACE wouldn’t be the first company in recent years saying they can make cars viably in Australia, and I’m not going to bash anyone for having a go (and wish them the very best of luck) but I’m skeptical. -Brent Balinski

Archer’s Jamieson Tank manganese project capable of battery production

Archer Exploration Limited (ASX: AXE), is pleased to announce outstanding results from recent metallurgical test work conducted on a composite drill sample sourced from the Company’s 100% owned Jamieson Tank Manganese Project (located near Cleve, South Australia). The metallurgical test work was completed by Kemetco Research Inc, the same company that did the Ketchowla manganese and cobalt test work (ASX announcement 12 February 2018), and showed that the Jamieson Tank manganese was capable of making an EMD product with a manganese content of >92%, which is the standard required for alkaline and lithium-ion batteries The test work involved the leaching of the manganese from the old drill sample provided by Archer, purification of the leach to remove iron, cobalt, nickel and other potentially deleterious elements and finally the precipitation of the electrolytic manganese dioxide onto graphite cathode and titanium anodes. Executive Chairman, Greg English commented: “It is very exciting that our manganese at Jamieson Tank has been independently shown to be suitable in the production of high-grade manganese EMD, with its high-value applications in emerging and established battery technologies. This is consistent with our expanding exploration portfolio focus on advanced materials and reliable energy storage technologies.” Mr English continued: “The Jamieson Tank Manganese Project complements our nearby Campoona graphite and graphene project with its granted mining tenements, and our other manganese and cobalt exploration prospects at Ketchowla and North Broken Hill. We look forward to updating the market on further developments over the coming weeks.” The Jamieson Tank Manganese Project The Jamieson Tank Manganese Project straddles two separate tenements both owned by Archer: Carappee Hill (site of the proposed Sugarloaf Graphite Processing Facility) and Waddikee. The Carappee Hill portion was initially drilled by Archer in 2008 with follow up drilling under a joint venture between Archer and the manganese miner […]

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