Manufacturing Technology

Energy Renaissance to deliver defence-grade cybersecure battery management system with CSIRO and IMCRC

Energy Renaissance, an Australian lithium-ion battery manufacturer, will develop a defence-grade cybersecure Battery Management System (BMS) for its superStorage family of batteries that are to be manufactured in Tomago, NSW. The A$1.46 million BMS project is jointly funded and developed by Energy Renaissance with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO and the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC). The BMS will monitor and report on the battery’s usage, lifespan and faults through a mobile network to Energy Renaissance and their customers. Communicating through an inverter, the system will enable secure real time data, analytics and remote management to drive down the risk of battery failure and operating costs for grid-scale energy storage users. Brian Craighead, Technology and Development Director of Energy Renaissance said, “The collaboration between Energy Renaissance, CSIRO, and IMCRC will promote an Australian Battery Management System instead of relying on an overseas technology platform. Working together with CSIRO will ensure we can create a world-class defence-grade cybersecure Battery Management System that is fully developed and managed in Australia for critical energy storage infrastructures.” “Software designed and developed in Australia has a strong global reputation and we’ve built a history and track record as an industry. Through this project, we will demonstrate the advantage that Australian intellectual property can bring to a highly competitive energy storage market where a superior Battery Management System is critical for the operating efficiency of a battery.” Dr Adam Best, Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO said, “CSIRO is delighted to be working with Energy Renaissance to develop a Battery Management System that is the ‘nerve centre’ of a battery, and will make batteries safer, more affordable and optimised to operate in high temperature environments. Our partnership with Energy Renaissance validates CSIRO’s capabilities to collaborate, train and transfer skills for the advanced manufacturing of batteries.” David Chuter, CEO […]

Fleet Space Technologies applies for a Federal MMI grant to build 50 nanosatellites a year

Adelaide satellite manufacturer Fleet Space Technologies has applied for a $5 Million Federal government Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) grant so that it can jump from building three hand-built nanosatellites a year to mass-producing 50. Additional support from the South Australian government will supplement nearly $4 Million the company is raising itself. If the grant application is successful, Fleet Space will become a major satellite manufacturing hub and increase its payroll from 31 staff today to 128 by 2024, says its CEO and co-founder Ms Flavia Tata Nardini. Most of the new employees will be engineers and specialist satellite assembly technicians. Fleet Space has spent $12 Million since 2015 on R&D to develop the world’s most advanced beam-steering antenna and to miniaturise its satellites’ communications payload. These make it possible to deliver its Nebula space-based data network using a 10kg nanosatellite where previously this level of connectivity was only possible with a 100kg satellite. The company, which has already launched four nanosatellites, has applied for a $5 million grant under the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources’ Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) to help it make the jump. Fleet Space plans to build a new factory with more than double the space for R&D and manufacturing and has partnered with the University of Adelaide’s Institute of Photonics and Advanced Sensing, local company Redarc Electronics, Hawker Richardson in Melbourne and NSW-based Lintek to build the industrial capability to manufacture these nanosatellites in Australia. The Nebula service for utilities, mining and energy companies uses satellites to connect sensors monitoring critical infrastructure such as remote mine sites, alternative energy sites, gas pipelines and rurally dispersed electricity pylons with central base stations, 24 hours a day. This also allows operators to conduct geological surveys and operate unmanned vehicles such as drones remotely from a proper […]

AVEVA and OSIsoft combine to unlock potential for industrial organisations

Industrial Software Market Leaders Introduce ‘Performance Intelligence’ to create Industrial Software and Data Leadership AVEVA, a global leader in engineering and industrial software, has joined forces with OSIsoft to meet the expanding information management needs of industrial companies and accelerate their digital transformation. The combined portfolio brings OSIsoft’s world-class data management together with AVEVA’s leading industrial software to unlock Performance Intelligence. Providing greater operational agility and resilience, Performance Intelligence connects information and artificial intelligence (AI) with human insight, to enable faster and more accurate decision making, helping industries boost sustainability. By pairing the trusted capabilities of OSIsoft’s PI System with the leading industrial software of AVEVA, Performance Intelligence gives the people behind essential processes the rich, reliable data they need to better measure and understand the entire industrial lifecycle. Areas where Performance Intelligence is likely to have the most impact will include organisational productivity, operational agility, and sustainability. The global big data and analytics market is growing exponentially and projected to be worth $274 billion by 2022. Staying ahead of the curve requires a new understanding of the scope and scale of industrial information to leverage that data effectively. Insight into industrial information from edge to enterprise reduces downtime, production costs, and energy consumption – optimising resources and driving sustainability. The combined software portfolio is driving digital transformation for over 20,000 customers globally, operational efficiency to empower people, industries, and communities. Craig Hayman, CEO at AVEVA, said, “Together we’re redefining the capabilities of industrial software. Through Performance Intelligence, we can see worlds of data from bold new angles, and inspire better understanding of complex value chains, to boost performance and drive sustainability. The combined impact of AVEVA and OSIsoft will enable our customers to manage complex industries more efficiently. Our expanded capabilities elevate AVEVA’s commitment to deliver operational agility that […]

Disinfecting robot prepares for return of students

Gen2 is using the innovative technology to disinfect the workshop area and main atrium at its HQ and training centre in Cumbria, UK, ahead of welcoming staff and students back to the building. The remotely-operated robot was developed by Forth in Cumbria last year as a response to the fight against Covid-19. The firm is known for its innovations to solve complex industry challenges all over the world in nuclear, oil and gas, renewables and other sectors. Disinfecting of the workshop area and main atrium will enhance current Covid-19 safety measures in place throughout the building, and provide extra peace of mind for staff and students. Gen2 has worked closely with Forth over a number of years delivering apprenticeship programmes and training for the engineering firm, which is based in Maryport, Cleator Moor and Barrow in Cumbria. The Forth team developed the disinfecting robot in a matter of weeks by combining its tracked robot, vapour cannon, camera and lights. The robot is able to be worked remotely, controlled from a safe distance, to disinfect any area – inside or outside – to help the country safely emerge from lockdown. It can be used in offices, warehouses, transport hubs, schools, shopping complexes, or on the streets, anywhere inside or outside, wherever it’s required. It can be deployed in any building or any area, before people return after lockdown to make sure the space they are going back to is safe to use, and can be regularly re-used to decontaminate areas, whether that’s once a week or several times a day. Radio-controlled, wireless and tetherless, the disinfecting robot can perform fogging or misting. It has the ability to climb flights of stairs and can disinfect large areas in a matter of minutes. It works in a similar way to a vapour cigarette […]

Futureproofing your manufacturing business to mitigate risk

By Kevin Dherman, Chief Innovation Officer at SYSPRO In 2020, Industry 4.0 technologies played a decisive role in many manufacturers’ pandemic responses and it helped these companies to keep their operations running during the crisis. Many were able to keep operating in the face of shortages of workers or raw materials, whilst others struggled to keep up with the sudden spike in demand. How did Industry 4.0 technologies help those companies in their efforts to reduce the negative impacts of the crisis and reduce the risks for their business? The SYSPRO 2020 Manufacturing CFO 4.0 Survey, which was conducted in October 2020, shows how manufacturers and distributors handled the operational shifts brought on by Covid-19. It revealed that 60% of manufacturers and distributors were impacted by supply chain disruptions. 47% of businesses were unable to function due to operational staff reliance on-site; while 29% of businesses felt that their business systems did not provide them with the availability and accessibility to manage the changes that the pandemic introduced. As these businesses attempt to stabilise, many are considering adopting emerging technologies and Industry 4.0 to mitigate the risk of major disruptions in the future. The challenge for many of these businesses is understanding which technologies to adopt, when to pursue this transformation and how to budget for it. There are several Industry 4.0 technologies that have real potential to help futureproof Australian manufacturing and distribution businesses in the next five years. The automated warehouse It is important to note that transitioning to an automated warehouse is a long and expensive journey. In most cases, it will take three to five years for manufacturing and distribution businesses to be fully automated. At which point there will still at least 65% of workers still in the warehouse. This is because the automation augments […]

Lead-free brass cable glands pioneer sustainability compliance trends

A new range of lead-free brass cable glands is being introduced by LAPP to help ensure manufacturers, machine builders and production automation engineers and operators achieve compliance with current and forthcoming global sustainability requirements. This will be the first manufacturer in the world to offer cable glands in a lead-free brass version, staying ahead of increasing restrictions on lead use. Initially, the most popular LAPP cable glands will be available in the new lead-free version, with first products including the popular Skintop MS-M and MS-SC-M models, as well as the counter nut Skindicht SM-M Skintop MS-M, which is the first choice for a wide range of applications in machine and plant construction, measurement, control and regulation technology, and where there are tough demands in terms of mechanical and chemical stability. It offers optimum strain relief, wide clamping ranges, numerous approvals and a high protection class from the full local branch of LAPP, which offers 20,000 products online 24/7 from local and global inventories of product and engineered solutions backed by outstanding local service and technical backing. LAPP says the Skintop MS-SC-M EMC cable gland, with highly conductive, flexible EMC contact spring, has a low-resistance screen contact for EMC-compliant earthing of the braided shield. All of these versions will be available immediately from stock in metric sizes M12 to M63. Further product groups are gradually being supplemented with lead-free versions. The previous versions will be still be available from global stock for the time being. In recent months, LAPP has investigated various lead-free alloys. This included tests in production to ensure the reliability of the processes and the suitability of the tools.

Another $1.2 billion for apprentices’ subsidy, with post-JobKeeper targeted package imminent

Scott Morrison will announce today a $1.2 billion extension of the government’s wage subsidy for businesses taking on apprentices, as the government starts to roll out targeted assistance for the post-JobKeeper economy. The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements’ wage subsidy program will become “demand driven” and in its new stage is expected to generate some 70,000 new apprentice and trainees places. The apprentices have to be signed up before the end of September, and the subsidy will run for 12 months from the date the person starts with their employer. The program, announced last year to help the economic recovery from COVID, provided for a subsidy of 50% of wages paid to an apprentice between October 5 2020 and September 30 2021. The maximum subsidy was $7,000 a quarter. The cost of the first stage was also $1.2 billion. The subsidy rate will remain the same under the extension. The initial phase of the program is fully subscribed, helping create some 100,000 apprenticeships. So far the program has assisted nearly 40,000 businesses take on a new apprentice or trainee. On Monday, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg flagged a package of assistance measures for the post-JobKeeper transition will be unveiled within days. Speaking in Cairns, which has been hard hit from the drying up of international tourists, Frydenberg pointed to aviation as one sector needing support. He said the government wanted “to back businesses that back themselves”. JobKeeper ends late this month. The government has always insisted it will not extend it, but it is also anxious to prevent its end causing setbacks in sectors that are still struggling. Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers said JobKeeper should be extended for the Cairns area. Also visiting Cairns he said, “There are 8,096 workers and 2,631 small businesses in this local economy which face devastation because of Josh […]

BusTech Group electric bus producer

BusTech Group is already running a number of its hybrid buses on the public transport network in Adelaide. Co-located with sister company Brabham Automotive in Adelaide, South Australia, BusTech Group is gearing up to produce at least 60 electric buses for the NSW Government over the next 18 months after its recent inclusion on a list of approved electric bus suppliers. It also has orders for electric buses in Queensland, which it aims to start delivering in the second half of this year. BusTech says it is the only Australian bus company locally manufacturing zero-emission buses for the NSW market. Its 12.5-metre ZDi electric bus has been designed, engineered and will be built in Australia. The all-electric buses aimed at the NSW market will use a Proterra battery pack and drivetrain following a partnership with the US company. Owned by South Australia-based Fusion Capital, which also owns Brabham Automotive, the company rebranded as BusTech Group in December following the purchase of Queensland-based Bustech by its Edinburgh-based Precision Buses in 2019. BusTech Group executive chairman Christian Reynolds said the two bus manufacturers first collaborated under a licensing agreement back in 2017. “We could see the opportunity to take more of a leading position within the bus space so we worked through a transaction to acquire Queensland-based business Bustech to look at more of a national manufacturing and supplier footprint,” he said. “Fusion Capital saw the opportunity from the closure of Holden to bring together Tier 1 supply capability to basically look at how we could create a business from the stalled capacity within the vehicle space and that’s what has allowed us to move quite quickly. “We went from four vehicles built in 2016 to a run rate now where we are building between 250 and 300 a year.” The company […]

‘Work with Us’ on economic recovery – New resources sector TV campaign

A new TV campaign from Australian Resources and Energy Group AMMA calls on the nation’s political representatives to “work with” employers as they push to secure new major project investment, create jobs and assist with the national economic recovery. Launching today, phase two of AMMA’s ‘Work with Us’ campaign highlights the significant growth potential of Australia’s resources and energy sector. Running on Sky News and social media channels throughout March, the campaign comes as the Australian Parliament considers amendments to the Fair Work Act that would remove a significant amount of risk, uncertainty, and cost from Australia’s industrial relations system. “Australia’s resources and energy employers have kept the economy strong throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” Steve Knott AM, Chief Executive of AMMA, said. “According to the Department of Industry, we now have $334 billion of new major projects in our national investment pipeline. If all this could be secured, the creation of jobs across construction, production and supply chain operations would easily exceed 100,000. “These projects would also deliver state, territory and federal governments with multiple billions of dollars in revenues, each year for decades on end. Our nation has a very rare opportunity to kick-start its economic recovery with a new wave of investment into one of its most important industries. “But we cannot take this opportunity for granted. The competition for global investment capital is now fiercer than ever. AMMA’s new campaign simply calls on our parliamentarians to ‘work with us’ on converting these opportunities. “They can begin by supporting the Morrison Government’s industrial relations reforms that will encourage employers, employees and unions to work together to secure new investment and growth opportunities. “For example, allowing employers and unions to agree on longer terms for greenfields agreements used in the construction of new major projects, will offer major project […]

Aqueous water heater ends hot water wait

With the average mains supply tap spitting out 10-15 litres of water a minute, it doesn’t take long to become a water waster. And if you are running cold water down the sink while waiting for the hot water to come down the pipe, it is not only wasteful but frustrating. This problem has become larger as pipe runs in households and businesses have become longer, as many premises get larger. Now, the water often has to run a lot further than before from the main water heater, before it comes out hot at the tap. And when you turn off the hot tap again, the hot water sucked into those long pipes cools down again. “It can become a double whammy – you waste more cold water running it down the sink while you spend more money heating it up to travel longer distances to get to you,” says Jay King, who has engineered a solution to the problem in the shape of Aus J’s ruggedly engineered Aqueous MK2 6-litre compact water heater. The Aqueous MK2 6-litre water heater from Aus J Hot Water Solutions is the most compact model yet, designed to provide domestic, commercial, hospitality, food and beverage, and industrial users with near-instant hot water while saving time, energy, water and frustration. With dimensions of just 305 by 305 by 304 mm, it is designed to sit snugly in cupboards near the tap, or under the floor just below them. It is so compact that it is also used in portable catering vehicles and boats, where space is precious, to ensure immediate hot water for washing, hygiene and convenience. Aqueous 6L and 10L models are available in 240v and 12v models, while the complementary Aus J Duoetto 10L water heater incorporates automatically switched 12v/240v operation. The compact […]

«‹ 6 7 8 9 ›»

News Ticker

Manufacturing Technology