Company News

The Interview: Kerry Hodges, ADA Bendigo Factory Manager

What is your role at ADA’s Bendigo Factory, and what does this entail? My role as Bendigo Factory Manager requires me to oversee all aspects of production. This includes staff, skills, cutting, equipment, quality , continuous improvement opportunities, safety and anything to ensure our commitments to the customer are met. The factory makes protective apparel for many services and businesses throughout Australian and beyond. It is a huge responsibility due to our diverse customer base – we provide to Australian Defence Force, New Zealand Defence Force, New South Wales Health, Victoria Ambulance, Victoria Police, NSW Police, QLD Fire and Emergency Services, QLD Police, WA Fire and Emergency Services, Victoria Country Fire Authority, Victoria Country Fire volunteers, NSW Wildlands Fire, Toll, Energex, to name a few. What opportunities for career development and growth have you been provided with during your time at ADA? There have been so many opportunities that have been provided to me. I started as a sower in 1988, and then moved into the quality side of production, which involved implementing an accredited Quality System. From there I moved into a supervisory tole, before moving into managing the Bendigo Production Facility. What are the biggest challenges you have faced in the manufacturing industry? Skill shortages is one of the biggest. We lost valuable skillsets when a lot of the companies took their manufacturing offshore. Where I grew up, the area was a thriving sewing manufacturing hub, with businesses such as Stafford Ellison, John Brown, Lacoste, Adidas, and other smaller businesses in operation. Following their closure, people looked at other fields to move into, therefore education and courses on offer were extremely limited and the industry suffered. We were incredibly lucky at that point in time the Australian Defence Apparel (formerly known as Australian Government Clothing Factory) was looking […]

Hydraulic tension benefits industrial machinery

When commissioning industrial machinery, the importance of correct bearing installation is paramount. Bearing manufacturers say incorrect installation is directly the cause of 16 percent of all failures – and maintenance specialists say it is likely to be a big contributor downstream to generally shorter service life and resulting maintenance safety hazards. “When a new bearing is incorrectly mounted – be it by way of poor fitting, brute installation force, or incorrect tools – it can lead directly to premature and sometimes very swift bearing failure,” says internationally successful hydraulic tensioning tool manufacturer John Bucknell, who is Founder and CEO of Technofast. “A poorly installed bearing is not only a pending production liability in terms of service life, but also in terms of expensive downtime and the OH&S factors involved in getting the worn part out again when it fails prematurely,” he says. “Crude approaches may be quick, but they can be nasty and dangerous, risk damage to machinery shafts, and make subsequent bearing failure analysis either difficult or impossible,” says Mr Bucknell, whose safety-engineered and money-saving hydraulic tensioning solutions are used in time-critical fastening and service applications ranging from mining and quarry conveyors and comminution equipment, through to applications in conventional and nuclear power stations. Bearing sleeve withdrawal These same qualities of speed, precision and avoidance of downtime while ensuring worker safety were demonstrated in service recently with a bearing sleeve withdrawal operation when assembling a new mobile crusher and conveyor. It was being commissioned on-site to make road-base gravel for applications such as new highways and worksite infrastructure. The newly imported machine – purpose-built to be assembled where needed for immediate service – required precision technology that was demonstrably superior to old methods such as using a hand-made jig laboriously fabricated for the purpose, with no way of determining […]

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FSC bolsters environmental capacity and expands into site investigation services

FSC has announced a boost of its suite of environmental engineering services with a focus on providing high-quality, commercially minded and site specific, site investigation services to primarily construction and property managing clients. FSC is a multi-disciplinary design, engineering, project management and environmental consultancy. FSC has a fresh approach to engineering and is proud to be a people-first company. Their team is experienced in small and large projects, and are brought together through shared passion for sustainable, safe project planning and delivery. In launching its site investigation service, FSC has appointed two experienced environmental consultants, Souzy Melahridis and Ben Bratcher. Souzy is an experienced environmental consultant and scientist with experience in undertaking an array of environmental investigations and contaminated land management as well as managing environmental and occupational health risks on major infrastructure projects. Ben is an experienced project manager and environmental consultant, with a background in the management of both intermediate and large-scale projects at various stages. Ben has joined FSC after working primarily in risk management, with experience environmental site investigations and due diligence assessments. Site investigations involve the identification of environmental liabilities through a combination of desktop and intrusive investigation works and are often the keystone first step in environmental due diligence. Our site investigation team can devise the best investigation and remediation strategies to meet the needs of the project. “Strengthening our team with site investigation experience was the natural next step for FSC,” said Stuart Twelftree, general manager of FSC Enviro. This announcement comes as 2023 is shaping up as an exciting year for FSC. Along with a recent geographic diversification into Brisbane, FSC has continued to grow its existing service lines with total staff numbers across FSC Group now 70.

Patients to benefit from regenerative implants on Protheses List

Patients will be able to more readily access the innovative technology of an Australian-Singaporean regenerative implants company, thanks to the inclusion of its products into the Protheses List next month. Osteopore’s regenerative implants empower natural tissue regeneration, using 3D-printed bioresorbable implants whereby a scaffold guides a damaged or broken bone to regrow naturally. All of the company’s products currently TGA listed for use under the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), will be formally included into the Prostheses List on November 25th. The Australian Prostheses List identifies implantable devices eligible for reimbursement from all private health insurance funds. This requirement is set out in the Private Health Insurance Act 2007. Osteopore Executive Chairman, Mark Leong said being incorporated into the Prostheses List ensured all Australians with private healthcare coverage could be reimbursed for Osteopore products. “Doctors and surgeons are able to choose the best available devices for privately insured patients as covered by all the individual healthcare insurance funds, and we believe our products are some of the best available on the market,” said Mr Leong. “Demand for medical devices has been growing due to population ageing, chronic health conditions and the introduction of new technologies. We are very happy to be included onto the Australian Prostheses List as we can provide our implants to patients with private healthcare insurance at a fully reimbursed price.” “Australian doctors are increasingly looking for products that work with the body’s natural regenerative capabilities and replacing like with like, rather than having to rely on artificial replacement parts or some bone grafts.” “Our solution is not only viable but can offer a better, safer and more reliable alternative to existing permanent implant technologies, providing a platform for lower potential complications and medical costs.” The list is an essential part of the private health insurance […]

Farmer John stumps the doubters with international technology success

Another Australian farmer is following in the footsteps of the inventors of the stump-jump plough by achieving international renown for his ingenuity for down-to-earth solutions for problems encountered by producers globally. Queensland farmer John Bucknell’s hydraulic bolts are now used around the world in applications such as nuclear reactors, boilers, turbines and mining and energy equipment where speed, accuracy and even, precise fastening of multiple sets of bolts is required. The idea originally stemmed from his desire to find a quicker and more secure way to fasten bolts used to tighten gang bolts on large disc ploughs on his family’s property near Nindigully, Queensland (about 500km west of Brisbane). Just like brothers Richard and Clarence Smith of Yorke Peninsula who invented the stump jump plough in 1876 to allow farmers to cultivate land without removing rocks and stumps, John used his disc plough to break in new country, ready for production, after his father converted the property from grazing to agricultural production, predominantly wheat. A better disc plough solution At the time, disc ploughs used scalloped discs mounted in gangs turning in order to chop up the ground. But these were prone to breaking if they encountered a stone, stump, or other obstacle. To replace them involved using a sledgehammer to loosen and tighten the large nut of the centre shaft of the gang. The whole gang had to be taken to replace broken discs, then the whole assembly had to be rebuilt once it was fixed… only for the plough to hit another obstacle 100 metres on, and the time-consuming process had to start again. Frustrated by this laborious process, he developed sets of hydraulic nuts and bolts to do the job of fastening and unfastening disc assemblies simultaneously, far faster and more securely than the old way of twisting […]

Four easy ways to make your office greener

As more businesses choose to go green and be environmentally responsible, the process can seem a little overwhelming given the plethora of greening solutions. Below are four easy ways to go green in the office, and save money and achieve efficiencies in the process. 1.Eliminate the printing of forms We are all too familiar with filling in office forms. Typically, these are often supplied in a paper format, and completed and signed manually before being returned to their point of origin. The process is both time and resource intensive. According to the National Waste Report 2020, prepared for Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment by Blue Environment Pty Ltd, 5.9 Megatonnes of paper and cardboard waste was generated between 2018-2019 in Australia.1 Paper manufacturing leads to deforestation, increased carbon emissions and climate change. The use of paper can also be operationally expensive for firms. Apart from the cost of the paper itself, once the completed paper forms have been processed, they are usually assigned to the inevitable – filing cabinets and storage facilities – which add to operational costs. Software solutions however, can eliminate the need for paper forms and help your office go green. Common software programs such as Microsoft’s Word allow you to quickly and easily create digital forms. Better still, software solutions such as Kofax Power PDF, let you convert the form into a PDF for greater flexibility and collaboration. Power PDF even converts images into fillable PDF forms. Colleagues can then easily access the PDF form to quickly complete details, highlight data, or leave comments. And the software’s inbuilt digital signature capability lets businesses capture signatures electronically. What’s more, the forms can then be filed electronically and also integrated directly into document management systems. This negates the need for filing cabinets and physical storage […]

Using Cloud ERP to mitigate sourcing challenges in procurement

By Paulo De Matos, Chief Product Officer, SYSPRO Manufacturers continue to face challenges like increased demand, enduring labour shortages and rising direct material costs. Buying better is also simply not enough and manufacturers will now need to answer the call for sustainability in ethical sourcing and focus on investing in supplier partnerships and innovation by accelerating the adoption of digital and analytics. Previously procurement strategies were driven by cost-reduction, low-cost sourcing and relied on single-sourced suppliers, with limited risk management. Now manufacturers have had to reset and focus on digitalisation for strategic sourcing to improve operations and ensure profitability. As industries are working towards rebuilding their supply chains to be more robust, collaborative, and accessible, some procurement strategies are likely to include: The diversification of supply chains by collaborating with local suppliers, developing new delivery strategies, and sourcing from multiple vendors Improved systems for automated procurement and traceability to ensure ethical sourcing Focusing on supplier relationship management strategies Here’s how manufacturers can use cloud ERP to manage current sourcing challenges and maintain competitive advantage: Repositioning the supply chain for strategic sourcing Manufacturers are now having to balance the trade-offs around cost versus risk. Is it still best to find the cheapest raw materials by sourcing overseas and accept the heightened risk of non-delivery? Reports also show the cost of shipping increased by 600 percent in 2021 and the impacts in shipping delays and bottlenecks are widespread globally. Manufacturers should consider repositioning their supply bases by shortening their supply chains and consider dual sourcing strategies to mitigate risk. Through a supply chain portal enabled by a cloud ERP system, manufacturers can obtain increased connectivity and visibility across the supply chain, which allows them to identify alternative sources of supply more easily. With cloud ERP, analytics can be used to improve, classify, […]

Australian EV truck manufacturer doubles assembly capacity

Electric truck manufacturer SEA Electric has extended its commitment to the Australian market by doubling the size of its local assembly facility for zero-emission trucks in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong. The company leads the world in terms of a comprehensive range of highly adaptable electric truck options, with its present plant expanding to now cover 8,000m2 on a total site of 15,000m2, giving SEA Electric the capacity to produce eight trucks per day, or up to 2,080 units per annum. Founded in Australia in 2012, SEA Electric released its first electric commercial products in 2017, while last year it launched its new range of medium and heavy-duty electric cab chassis models, distributed and supported by an extensive dealership network. “Australia doesn’t need to search the world to attract EV manufacturers – SEA Electric is proud to be a global leader in commercial eMobility technology, homegrown here in Victoria,” said Tony Fairweather, SEA Electric Founder and CEO. “Since launching our new range last year, we have attracted incredible interest from a wide cross-section of leading companies and government bodies, who seek to improve their environmental sustainability, despite a lack of policy and incentives to fuel growth in the sector on these shores. “The recent change of Federal Government and the subsequent increase in EV activity, has provided SEA Electric with renewed confidence that appropriate policy and incentives maybe close. There are many examples of successful policy in EV progressive countries such as the US that we should simply emulate. “Despite Australian passenger car production wrapping up in 2017, we still have vibrant engineering, development, and manufacturing capabilities, of which we should be proud.” SEA Electric’s existing facility has for the past 12 months enjoyed the benefits of a 100kW rooftop solar array, […]

Adelaide smart street furniture manufacturer eyes expansion

An Adelaide engineering company has further plans to tackle the global market with an export-friendly line of smart furniture and modular buildings. Since the COVID-19 lockdown, Specialised Solutions has seen strong demand for its line of off-grid park benches and shelters and its modular buildings. Worker and supply shortages in the building and construction industry and councils zeroing in on renewable energy projects are behind the demand for its cutting-edge products. Brad Riddle, the company’s national business development manager, said Specialised Solutions were now eyeing more opportunities on a global scale. Riddle said the company has distributors in the United States and New Zealand but said there is “strong interest” from European and Middle Eastern markets. “We are working on an export version of our products,” Riddle said. “We’re still working on that, but it will be a little more transportable and more modular. “A number of our products are larger and made of aluminum and steel and so we need to look at transport efficiencies to ensure that we can still be competitive in the international market.” Based out of the Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide, South Australia, the company has been manufacturing its Sedi line of smart furniture for the last three years. The original outdoor bench has since spawned bins, bike racks and heaters harnessing their power from the sun. Designed by JPE Design Studio, the furniture is made from steel and sustainable timber and, using a small battery, can provide Wi-FI, lighting and charging ports to people. Riddle said the company saw increased demand for the unique products during the COVID-19 lockdowns. “I think COVID-19 has put a new focus on public spaces and councils are looking for innovative ways to deliver in those spaces, and our products fit within that perfectly,” Riddle said. “We’ve also seen large public […]

NSW Export Award finalists celebrate economic diversity

New South Wales leading exporters from a range of industries are being celebrated as finalists in the 2022 Premier’s NSW Export Awards. Interim Investment NSW CEO Katie Knight said the diversity of the finalists showcases the growing number of NSW sectors and businesses expanding internationally. “I’m thrilled to see the rich diversity of exporters showcased in this year’s finalist list. From industrial robotic automation and high-tech medical devices to Australian native botanicals, all these businesses play a key role in contributing to our state’s $82 billion export economy,” Ms Knight said. “Exports support one in five jobs in Australia so it is vital we continue to support our state’s exporters to expand and thrive internationally. The breadth of this year’s finalists demonstrates the unwavering international demand for NSW’s world-class goods and services.” Now in its 60th year, the 2022 Premier’s NSW Export Awards are being delivered in partnership with the Export Council of Australia (ECA), recognising businesses across 13 national categories and 4 NSW categories. Chair of the ECA, Dianne Tipping said the Awards have received a significant number of nominations this year across all categories providing the opportunity to recognise the achievements of NSW exporters who have had to respond to on-going challenges associated with trade including global supply chain and logistics issues. “The calibre of entrants for this year’s Awards is outstanding. We are proud to provide a platform for these exporter success stories to be told and celebrated,” Ms Tipping said. One of the finalists in the Regional Exporter category, Lismore based Australian Native Products Company, is the largest grower and exporter of lemon myrtle in the world, and a first-time finalist. General Manager of the Australian Native Products, Ross Norris said being a finalist in the Awards will help boost the company profile and recognise the […]

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