Future of Manufacturing

From efficiency to resilience: Supply chains in an uncertain world

Rick Kroon, Argon & Co, Europe For decades, supply chains were designed primarily around cost and efficiency. Globalisation, lean inventories, and just-in-time production enabled companies to operate at minimal margins. Yet the disruptions of recent years, from the COVID-19 pandemic to geopolitical tensions, extreme weather, and raw-material shortages, has exposed the fragility of this model. Today, resilience has become a strategic capability. Organisations are recognising that supply chains built solely for efficiency, struggle to absorb shocks. Resilient supply chains, by contrast, can anticipate, adapt, and recover while maintaining service levels and profitability. A Gartner Supply Chain Survey1 (2024) found that 83% of global supply chain leaders now prioritise resilience, up from just 45% before the pandemic, underscoring a clear shift from “cheapest” to “strongest.” Understanding the new risk landscape Uncertainty is no longer an occasional issue; it has become a constant aspect of global trade. Disruptions arise from multiple directions: Geopolitical instability, including trade restrictions and regional conflicts. Climate-related events affecting production and logistics networks. Cybersecurity threats across increasingly connected digital supply chains. Demand volatility and supply shocks driven by inflation and market fluctuations. According to Lund et al.2 (2020), companies can expect month-long disruptions every 3.7 years on average, with the potential to erode up to 45% of one year’s EBITDA over a decade. Building resilience is therefore not only a defensive strategy, but also a financial imperative. Resilience and efficiency can coexist A common misconception is that resilience inevitably increases cost. In reality, modern supply chains can achieve both efficiency and resilience through intelligent design, enhanced visibility, and proactive risk management. Leading organisations focus on three levers: Visibility and transparency Digital control towers and predictive analytics enable faster detection of disruption, improved exception management, and more informed decision-making according to Deloitte3 (2018). Diversification and optionality Multi-tier, multi-location sourcing models, including nearshoring and regionalization, reduce […]

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Slimline pneumatics streamline heat exchanger maintenance while curtailing machinery damage and safety hazards

Industrial heat exchanger mechanisms are subject to pressure and temperature variations, requiring scheduled maintenance to maintain operational and energy efficiency. Using slim and powerful heavy duty pneumatic cushions instead of bulky high-force metal tools can minimise the risk of machinery damage – and maximise maintenance safety – during lifting, shifting, spreading, and servicing of heat exchangers and boiler technology. Heat exchangers and boilers are ubiquitous and vital items of plant used throughout industry to transfer thermal energy from a hotter fluid to a cooler one, without the fluids mixing, making them essential for HVAC, refrigeration, and industrial processes. Because they are subject to continual pressure, expansion, contraction, and corrosion, they require regular maintenance to minimise leaks and curtail the losses of energy and efficiency resulting. Low-profile Pronal CLT lifting cushions are part of a broad range of Pronal products used for lifting, pushing, wedging, clamping, tilting, and guiding heavy loads across industrial and emergency sectors. CLT cushions can be inflated by a standard 120 bar industrial compressor, or on remote or inaccessible areas, by pressurised cylinder Air Springs Supply is the Australian national distributor of the tough Pronal elastomer ranges of pneumatic cushions, which are top quality heavy duty equipment also used by military and civil defence organisations for rescue and recovery operations, extending from flood and earthquake, to lifting of damaged aircraft, locomotives and heavy vehicles. Types such as compact, low-profile CLT lifting cushions – ranging from one to 65 tonnes capacity with heights of 90–515 mm – can be used individually or in multiples for safe, evenly distributed lifting in confined spaces. Their thin profiles and low weights (0.6–22 kg) also make them suitable for multipurpose, repeat, and mobile applications, such as being suitable for vehicle recovery, quarry rock splitting, pipeline lifting, shifting, and positioning, and emergency or rescue […]

Defence Trailblazer fast-tracking new technologies to help Defence and Industry transition to clean energy

Defence Trailblazer is actively working with industry partners in support of the Australian Government transition to Net Zero, funding a range of projects to develop emissions-reducing technologies to accelerate Defence’s transition to clean energy set out in the Defence Future Energy Strategy. The projects will also bolster the advanced manufacturing sector – supporting the energy transition while maintaining economic competitiveness. These Defence Trailblazer initiatives support the whole-of-Government action to reduce emissions to 62-70% below 2005 levels by 2035 (Net Zero Plan, 2025) and are aligned with the Department of Defence’s Net Zero Strategy, which provides an actionable pathway to the target of net zero emissions by 2050. Supported by funding from Defence Trailblazer’s Technology Development & Acceleration portfolio, the projects are led by defence industry partners in collaboration with academics from the University of Adelaide and UNSW. Three projects led by Electric Motor Power, Ocius Technology and Praxis are developing low-emissions technologies within the priority theme of Robotics, Autonomous Systems and Artificial Intelligence capabilities. The new Ocius Technology workshop in Alexandria, New South Wales. Credit: Ocius Technology Electric Motor Power is collaborating with researchers from the University of Adelaide to develop high performance and sustainable electric motors. This project will integrate advanced materials – such as amorphous magnetic materials and soft magnetic composites – into electric motor design to create lighter, more efficient, and eco-friendly motors, with wide ranging applications for Defence platforms. In a project that will directly support the Defence supply chain, Ocius Technology and UNSW Canberra are partnering to increase the rapid scaling of production of Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) for the Royal Australian Navy. The Ocius Bluebottle USV fleet is powered by renewable energy – utilising solar, wind and wave power, or a combination of energy sources – and offers significant operational advantages over conventional methods. Praxis […]

InfraBuild powers up steel furnace productivity and reliability with ABB’s advanced circuit breaker upgrade

Project by project, a steelmaker modernises its melt shop, ultimately replacing its aged electric arc furnace transformer with a dedicated circuit breaker to ensure reliable power supply When Australian steelmaker InfraBuild needed two new circuit breakers to provide backup for its main electric arc furnace, ABB had the solution — its VD4-AF vacuum circuit breaker with an innovative servomotor actuation system that delivers more than five times the operations of a standard breaker, supporting greater reliability andsafety as well as lower operational costs. But because this high-performance equipment was based on electronic technology rather than the spring-actuated mechanism of InfraBuild’s aged circuit breaker, the company was cautious. “Even though it sounded great, we felt things could go wrong because there are a lot of electronics involved, compared to the old mechanical-linkage style of construction, and we needed to hear from others who had already applied the technology,” says Jorge Aguilar, Electrical Project Engineer at InfraBuild in Laverton, Victoria. With a global installed base of more than two million units of the well-known ABB VD4 vacuum circuit breaker product family, ABB had no difficulty finding two similar customers who were able to reassure the Australian steelmaker of the VD4-AF circuit breaker’s performance. “We were pleased with their responses and experience with ABB’s technology, and felt reassured that they were very satisfied with the technology,” says Aguilar. InfraBuild proceeded with orders for of two VD4-AF vacuum circuit breakers specifically designed for protecting steel furnaces. The circuit breaker is integrated with air-insulated single panel UniGear ZS3.2 switchgear, which fits within the footprint of the original equipment. “Power reliability for this panel was critical,” says Henry Lin, Project Manager for Electrification Service at ABB Australia. VD4-AF is based on servomotor actuators that increase circuit breaker performance up to 10 times compared to standard […]

Celebrating 30 years – Camco Engineering continues to expand

First established in 1995, Camco Engineering now employs some 550 personnel in four Western Australian locations close to its customers and the company continues to expand with operations nationwide and into export markets. With Head Office located in Canning Vale and engineering facilities also in Belmont, Welshpool and Karratha WA, this privately owned company recently celebrated its 30th anniversary providing high level engineering services to diverse markets such as Mining, Power Generation, Oil & Gas, Energy, Transport and Rail along with general engineering work. Whilst work is primarily in Western Australia the company undertakes work nationwide and also has long term contracts in Papua New Guinea. “Such is the engineering capabilities of our staff that we have a policy of never turning away a job no matter how challenging,” said Group Operations Manager Matt Casley. “We just find the right solution for our customers and our work covers refurbishing sizes, crushers, vibratory screens, conveyer pulleys, magnetic separators, exciters, gearboxes wheel grippers, bogies, cryogenic pumps, expander generators, marine loading arms, rope access work and sub-sea manufacture plus much more,” he said. The engineering services this private company provides covers full engineering and design with CAM/CAD design facilities, fabrication, welding, robotics, gear cutting, inspection and metrology, machining plus design and manufacture. There are four design engineers and six draftsmen currently in the team. “In our engineering shop we have two Okuma machining centres and two Okuma CNC lathes and a strong working relationship with Okuma WA that ticks all the boxes. With reliable, stable precision engineering outcomes, strong technical support from the factory with skilled local technicians, user friendly programming and training, it is a company that goes the extra mile. “An example of this is the commissioning of a new Okuma machine and training in our Karratha facilities some 1,500km or […]

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DroneShield secures $49.6M European military contract

DroneShield has received a contract totalling $49.6m for a European end-customer. A significant portion of this hardware is on-the-shelf with deliveries and payments expected to be completed in Q1 202. DroneShield Limited has received a contract for $49.6 million from an in-region European reseller that is contractually required to distribute the products to a European military end-customer. The contract is for handheld counter-drone systems, associated accessories, and software updates. DroneShield has a large portion of this stock on-the-shelf and expects to complete all deliveries in Q1 2026. Cash payments are also expected to be fully received in Q1 2026. No additional material conditions need to be satisfied. Over the past three years, DroneShield has received 15 contracts from this reseller totalling over $86.5 million. There are no obligations for any additional contracts from this reseller or end-customer.

Time is money: Why digitising attendance tracking is critical for logistics providers

By Damien Durston, head of people management solutions at OneAdvanced ANZ In logistics, time truly is money. Every minute lost to inefficiency or inaccuracy impacts delivery schedules, margins and customer satisfaction. Yet, many logistics providers still depend on manual or outdated systems to monitor employee attendance. Manual processes might seem manageable, but they carry a chain of risks that can be avoided. Paper timesheets, spreadsheets and manual data entry all leave room for errors, from misreported hours to lost records. These mistakes can lead to payroll disputes, compliance breaches and unnecessary overtime costs. In a sector already under pressure from rising costs and labour shortages, inefficiency is something few can afford to tolerate. Accuracy and compliance go hand in hand Adhering to Australia’s Fair Work legislation is established by the Fair Work Act 2009, requires accurate record-keeping and transparency when tracking hours. Manual entry of attendance data can lead to inconsistencies, increasing the risk of underpayments or non-compliance with award conditions. Digitising time and attendance tracking eliminates this uncertainty. By linking attendance data directly to payroll systems, businesses can automatically calculate hours, leave and allowances without manual input. The outcome is fewer errors, quicker processing and improved compliance assurance. Digital systems also help produce accurate records during audits, thus safeguarding both the company’s finances and reputation. Real-time visibility for dynamic operations The logistics workforce is mobile and widely distributed, with drivers, warehouse staff and field technicians often working across multiple locations. Managers need more than a static record of who clocked in. They require a live view of their workforce. Cloud-based time and attendance systems provide that visibility. Staff can clock in using mobile apps or secure biometric systems, while managers get real-time updates on attendance, shift compliance, and absenteeism. If a site has unexpected absences or higher demand, managers can respond quickly by reallocating resources to ensure timely deliveries. Operational gains through better data Digital attendance systems not only guarantee accuracy but also offer valuable data insights that […]

Australia’s national AI plan has just been released. Who exactly will benefit?

Jake Goldenfein, Senior Lecturer, Law and Technology, The University of Melbourne. Christine Parker, Professor of Law, The University of Melbourne, Kimberlee Weatherall, Professor of Law, University of Sydney. The Labor government has released the long-awaited National AI Plan, “a whole-of-government framework that ensures technology works for people, not the other way around”. With this plan, the government promises an inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) economy that protects workers, fills service gaps, and supports local AI development. In a major reversal, it also confirms Australia won’t implement mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI. Instead, it argues our existing legal regime is sufficient, and any minor changes for specific AI harms or risk can be managed with help from a new A$30 million AI Safety Institute within the Department of Industry. Avoiding big changes to Australia’s legal system makes sense in light of the plan’s primary goal – making Australia an attractive location for international data centre investment. The initial caution is gone After the public release of ChatGPT in November 2022 ushered in a generative AI boom, initial responses focused on existential risks posed by AI. Leading AI figures even called for a pause on all AI research. Governments outlined plans to regulate. But as investment in AI has grown, governments around the world have now shifted from caution to an AI race: embracing the opportunities while managing risks. In 2023, the European Union created the world’s leading AI plan promoting the uptake of human-centric and trustworthy artificial intelligence. The United States launched its own, more bullish action plan in July 2025. The new Australian plan prioritises creating a local AI software industry, spreading the benefit of AI “productivity gains” to workers and public service users, capturing some of the relentless global investment in AI data centres, and promoting Australia’s regional leadership by becoming an infrastructure and computing hub in the Indo-Pacific. Those goals are outlined in the plan’s three pillars: […]

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Reflections on 2025

Matthew Addley, Senior Director of Product and Industry Market Strategy, Infor Reflecting on 2025 have there been any key industry developments that surprised you or perhaps met your expectations? This year delivered a few unexpected turns for manufacturers. Evolving regulations and increasing market pressures prompted organisations to overhaul the way they source products and validate data from suppliers, helping them stay compliant, manage risk, and advance sustainability goals. Meanwhile, rapid innovation, rising customer expectations, and broader economic shifts intensified the push for change – such as moving to automated, real-time verifications platforms – and highlighted the importance of a technology-first approach. Shifting gears to look ahead now, with supply chain risks increasing, many businesses are moving to ‘just-in-case’ resilience by diversifying and nearshoring. How can businesses balance this approach with keeping operations lean and profitable in 2026 and years to come? With recent geopolitical developments and weather events, companies have moved from ‘just-in-time’ models to adopt ‘just-in-case’ strategies, which include diversification of suppliers and nearshoring. However, the balance is now to ensure that ‘just-in-case’ doesn’t mean inventory blow-out and lost profitability. Technology is a critical enabler of this shift, with platforms offering end-to-end visibility and real-time data from suppliers and logistics partners to mitigate the risks with a balanced, ‘just-enough’ approach. It’s the convergence of innovation, increasing customer demands, and global economic factors that drive this need for transformation, and the viability of a technology-centric response. With the rise of automation comes a demand for new skills but how do businesses take action on their initial, urgent needs for new capabilities while still working towards their long-term ambitions? The rise of automation, AI, and robotics isn’t about replacing workers, but should be seen as augmenting their capabilities to create the ‘connected worker’. Enterprise applications are evolving to be more […]

SYPAQ partnering with Amiga Engineering on Corvo X production

SYPAQ is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Amiga Engineering on the sovereign production of Corvo X, bringing together SYPAQ’s innovation in autonomous systems and Amiga Engineering’s world-class advanced manufacturing expertise, ahead of Indo-Pacific 2025. Amiga Engineering is an Australian family-owned business with over 38 years of handson experience in manufacturing and operates the largest metal and polymer additive manufacturing service bureau in Australia. Importantly for Corvo X production, Amiga Engineering is Australia’s only certified company to metal 3D print in Scalmalloy. “Our team is honoured to support SYPAQ in the manufacturing of components for Corvo X, by leveraging advanced materials such as Scalmalloy® and cutting-edge production techniques to help bring their innovative design to life” says Dee Bourchier, Amiga Engineering Head of Media and Marketing. Fresh oƯ their success at the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards being recognised for both Apprentice of the Year and Small Business of the Year, Amiga Engineering is one of the many sovereign Australian Defence companies SYPAQ is proud to partner with to deliver the Australian Army’s DEF129 SUAS Program, establishing SYPAQ as a trusted sovereign Defence Force partner for SUAS capability development. “Our partnership with Amiga Engineering underscores SYPAQ’s commitment to building a truly sovereign capability with trusted Australian partners,” said Amanda Holt, CEO and Managing Director of SYPAQ. “By combining SYPAQ’s innovation with Amiga’s precision engineering and manufacturing expertise, we’re ensuring Corvo X showcases the depth of advanced manufacturing capabilities right here in Melbourne.” With an investment exceeding 90% Australian Industry Capability (AIC), Corvo X is a true Australian success story having been developed in collaboration with the Australian Defence Force over a number of years with all the design, manufacture and support of Corvo X to be completed in Victoria. SYPAQ is proud to showcase Corvo X at Indo-Pacific […]

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Future of Manufacturing