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How can manufacturers deliver faster while coping with volume demands?

-James Robinson, Vice President of Services for Asia Pacific, SYSPRO The Industrial Machinery and Equipment (IME) industry is an important sector within the global economy, encompassing a wide range of products such as heavy machinery, construction equipment, agricultural machinery and more. There is a growing list of challenges facing IME manufacturers, but delivering products faster while coping with ever-increasing volume demands stands out as the primary one. Additional challenges include inaccurate inventory forecasting, supply chain disruptions, and disconnected legacy systems. To succeed in this highly competitive industry, IME manufacturers need to find ways to provide more accurate price forecasting, implement strong financial controls and have full traceability, so they can implement warranties on the industrial equipment they make. The level of precision required to provide more accurate costing requires a complex Bill of Materials (BOM), unique scheduling, end-to-end supply chain visibility and integrated Quality Management capabilities. Complex Bills of Materials and accurate costing One of the fundamental challenges faced by IME manufacturers is the highly complex specification and production required for their products. Their machines often consist of thousands of components, sub-assemblies and materials, which all need to be accounted for. This intricacy extends to the bills of materials (BOMs) required to assemble these machines. With an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system tailored for manufacturing, IME producers can excel in managing the accuracy of their BOMs, while providing precise costing information on demand in real-time. Unique scheduling and resource management IME manufacturers frequently deal with custom orders, specialised machinery and unique production schedules. A standard ERP system may not be equipped to handle these intricacies effectively. To manage their unique scheduling requirements better, ensuring efficient resource allocation, meeting lead times and minimising downtime, they should consider complementing their ERP system with a fully integrated Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) solution. MOM […]

PepsiCo’s Regency Park site celebrates 40th anniversary and 30 years of team member

PepsiCo’s Regency Park manufacturing facility is celebrating its 40th year of making some of Australia’s most iconic snacks, such as Smith’s, Red Rock Deli, Doritos and Twisties, since its opening in South Australia in 1983. The milestone reflects PepsiCo’s continued commitment to the South Australian manufacturing industry by growing produce, employing local team members and making foods locally. To make its snacks, PepsiCo purchases 40,000 tonnes of potatoes from South Australian farmers in Angle Vale, Parilla and Langhorne each year. The site, is the proud birthplace of the premium potato chip brand Red Rock Deli, and also makes the world-famous Doritos range, including the innovative new limited-edition coriander flavour. It also manufactures the Smith’s Oven Baked range, which was launched in 2020 as a ‘better for you’ potato chip. The Regency Park site employs 310 South Australian residents, including Anna Marie Dykstra, who is also celebrating her 30th anniversary this year. A much beloved team member over her three decades with the business, Anna Marie started working as a packing check way attendant, and has had multiple roles before her current Training Leader role. “This is my second family. I say that because sometimes when you’re tired, you still want to come in, because you are looking forward to seeing your friends, to work again,” said Ms Dykstra. “I enjoy working here, I really enjoy it, and I’m so proud of being an employee of PepsiCo.” “South Australian farming and manufacturing is an integral part of our business at PepsiCo – a third of the potatoes we use nationally are sourced from South Australia,” said Doug Stakic, PepsiCo ANZ Manufacturing Director, who has been at the Regency Park site for 37 years. “We are proud of our contribution to the South Australian economy through our Regency Park facility over the […]

Resourceful Living 2 Jess Hodge Hunter Awards

Made in the Hunter, for the world

HMA announces 2023 finalists and presentation night Mid-September put a spring in the step of Hunter manufacturing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Varley Engineering at Carrington to make a significant announcement regarding the National Reconstruction Fund, and Hunter Manufacturing Awards announced its 2023 finalists. While Mr Albanese was suiting up in Newcastle’s traditional industrial heartland with safety glasses and a personalised rail safety vest to reboot manufacturing, selected HMA finalists were checking their black-tie arrangements and after-five options. HMA will announce the winners of its prestigious accolades at a gala event on Friday 20 October at NEX, in Newcastle. The awards inspire and encourage vibrant and enduring manufacturing and the event shines a light on the region’s leaders and innovators making a mark in their fields. The 2023 awards theme is “made in the Hunter, for the world” and HMA chair Jacqui Daley says it is important to recognise the growth of manufacturing in the region and to celebrate innovations and commitment as companies make a global push. “Hunter companies are transforming traditional manufacturing processes,” Ms Daley says. “Many are now increasing the levels of design for technologically complex, innovative, reliable, affordable, and available products, which are better, more sustainable, and solve a variety of society’s problems. It enables them to compete globally.” Many of this year’s finalists are first timers, such as Hey Zomi, Herb Urban, and new Hunter start-up No Thru, while others are “old hands”, such as Hedweld, Resourceful Living, Whiteley, and Tomago Aluminium. The No Thru interlocking security system is an innovative reimagining of the traditional temporary construction fence. Designed to address the shortcomings of current options, No Thru prioritises enhanced security, safety, and streamlined installation efficiency. “Our main target markets are construction, building, and hire companies,” says No Thru founder James Vadas. “This system eliminates […]

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 […]

New pathways open for women in steel

Women are increasingly turning to non-traditional pathways such as steel for careers, drawn by operational and social advances. 50% of ASI staff were now women. “ASI is a proud supporter of inclusive work cultures where women’s careers thrive and their achievements are celebrated,” Cain said. ASI founding member steel producer BlueScope agrees. “It’s an exciting, dynamic industry at the cutting edge of change for women,” according to Queensland chapter president of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and BlueScope Qld specification manager Sheree Taylor. “Historical perceptions of the industry are changing: we have world-class safety standards, a culture of trust and respect and are investing in emerging, responsible steel technology,” Taylor said. BlueScope’s promotion and profiling of steel jobs now focuses on gender-neutral attributes, including problem-solving, skills training, job security and career advancement. Success of the job program has seen a five-fold increase of women at an operational level since 2016 across BlueScope Australia. BlueScope is also a signatory to the HESTA 40:40 Vision initiative which seeks to achieve gender balance in executive leadership across all ASX200 companies by 2030. Taylor said one of the keys to attracting more women into manufacturing and steel is at the school level. ‘’It is fantastic to see careers advice at schools now increasingly showcase the exciting opportunities for women in manufacturing – across both trade, operator and professional roles. However, there is still more to do to support women into these careers so they can add to the industry and reap the benefits of secure employment and a fulfilling career.’’ Site services contract controller for ASI founding member InfraBuild Wire Emma Mellows, said the IWD ‘Embrace Equity’ theme powerfully resonated with her. “Outside of work, I actively mentor young people, including young women, encouraging and supporting them to follow paths leading […]

What is steel scrap and how can it help us reach net zero?

Recycled steel scrap is a low-emitting source of the metal – here’s how we can improve its collection and production to help decarbonise the industry. From bridges to cars to paper clips, steel is ubiquitous in our material world. It is one of the enabling materials that has led to unprecedented living standard rises and progress for humanity. Yet, as with all other emitting economic sectors and material groups, the steel industry needs to decarbonise to meet the climate challenge. Its success as a material means global crude steel production is over 1.9 gigatonnes, but it accounts for an estimated 3 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions annually (albeit this is lower-emitting than most other materials potentially used for the same applications). Steel is made from either primary sources: that is, extracting iron ore from nature and transforming it into pure iron; or from secondary sources, that is, remelting steel scrap into new steel, or a combination of both. This secondary-source steel scrap is the discarded steel that becomes available from manufacturing waste generation and from recovered steel in buildings, infrastructure, equipment, vehicles and products discarded at their end of life. The amount of steel scrap available globally is finite, constrained by the rate of disposal by society. In contrast, the availability of iron ore-based steel is expandable, as mine activity can be increased to meet growing steel demand. There are two principal methods of producing steel. Image: ArcelorMittal Innate circularity Steel has excellent circularity properties. Whereas other materials are often downcycled at their end of life, for many applications, steel scrap can be turned back repeatedly into new steel, retaining its original properties. The magnetic properties of steel make it easy to segregate steel scrap from mixed waste streams. Global emissions from steel are primarily generated while producing steel from primary source iron […]

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