Future of Manufacturing

Star power of J.L.Lennard’s Pratica FIT Express speed oven draws interest at Foodservice 2023

A Practica speed oven that delivers cook times up to 20 times faster than industry norms has had a fantastic reception at its first public showing by distributor J.L.Lennard, drawing top interest from pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes, and takeaway groups. The Pratica FIT Express – which uses a combination of high speed forced-air convection heating and microwave energy to deliver more even cooking without hot spots – was launched at Foodservice Australia in Melbourne in May, attracting more than 10,000 visitors from Australia and New Zealand. The leading Australasian supplier of globally respected foodservice technology brands, J.L.Lennard Ltd, said the show gave the oven “a fantastic launch and visibility for customers seeking ways to boost service and profitability through easy-to-use, ultra-fast cooking technology swifter and less expensively than anything comparable”. “The new Pratica easily generated the greatest response among our strong and diverse display of foodservice products at Foodservice Australia. It generated the most inquiries of any of the many products we showed, with interest across the entire user spectrum,” said J.L.Lennard Product Specialist, Darren Cooper. The J.L.Lennard team at Foodservice Australia “We had response not only from pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes, caterers, and takeaway groups, but also service station groups, fast food outlets, health care facilities, and accommodation providers. All of these diverse users want to be able to provide a greater range of fresher foods to their clients using technology that delivers food faster than ever before,” said Cooper. Suitable for a wide variety of fresh, chilled, and frozen food, and with 1024 stored recipes, the large cooking chamber oven with a compact footprint enables it to fit on a 600mm benchtop typical of users for whom it will boost service speed and profits. “This quality, all-stainless and easy-to-use ultra-fast oven – which costs typically just two-thirds of […]

Manufacturing needs to embrace the tech revolution to hire the next best talent

-Zac Duff, JigSpace Australian manufacturers are scrambling to sure-up their most precious resource: their people. With historically low unemployment rates and a competitive labour market, 90% of CEOs across all industries expect to be affected by staff shortages in 2023[1], and manufacturing is a sector particularly impacted by people pressures. While other sectors such as technology, retail, professional services and engineering remain appealing to a younger demographic, manufacturing is sometimes seen as a less attractive proposition. That fear largely revolves around machine-heavy roles, out of date processes and “we’ve always done it this way” mentalities. Zac Duff, Jig Space But with Millennials now the largest generational workforce group in the country, the onus is on manufacturers to embrace change and build an innovation-led culture where digital natives see a clear pathway for development, opportunities and progression. A recent report from PWC said millennials are set to make up 75% of the workforce by 2025, and are a crucial lynchpin to a business’ future success[2]. Gen Y and Gen Z embrace the idea of applying technology as a solution to problems and being open to adaptation, and they’re put off by old school tools and approaches. Getting comfortable with discomfort The truth is, new technologies can be intimidating. When you’re operating large-scale facilities, rolling out changes company-wide can be daunting, and getting buy-in from senior decision makers isn’t always easy. But if we want to make our manufacturing facilities fit for purpose and futureproof, we need to get more comfortable with stepping into the unknown. Rather than thinking of technology implementation as a looming headache, look for solutions that are user-friendly, solve a smaller problem, and are easy to implement. Tools such as Zoom were unheard of just a few years ago, but now they’re widely embedded, with very little friction […]

Energy network must evolve to incorporate renewables more effectively

Australia faces an energy paradox as the country pursues its net zero targets. The Federal Government has enshrined into law an emissions reduction target of 43 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. This is a significant target, one that industry estimates will require 6 GW of new renewable energy and storage each year. However, the current network is struggling to handle renewable energy fed to the grid, especially from wind and solar farms. A recent study by Australian National University found that solar is the worst affected, with almost double the curtailments compared to wind energy, despite having a smaller installed capacity. This puts the country’s net zero targets under pressure as network congestion is causing large volumes of cheap renewable energy to be curtailed, meaning Australia has an “overgeneration” problem when it comes to renewables, particularly solar. This may lead to financial losses for clean energy generators and make investment in future projects a risky prospect. Regulators face a myriad of challenges in managing a centralised grid – challenges ranging from power outages, modernisation, cybersecurity, demand management and transmission losses. Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) estimates that around 10% of the electricity leaving an Australian power station never reaches consumers, which adds to the end consumers’ costs as this lost energy must still be paid for. Grid tariffs are also a concern as they may slow down the country’s path to net zero as renewable energy generators are saddled with legacy grid costs. Grid tariffs are currently based on amortising 25-year investments in national transmission cost. However, renewable energy sources can function cost effectively at the local level using microgrids, which are being implemented across Australia. Kalbarri in WA is now powered by a 100% renewable energy-intelligent microgrid with wind energy, solar […]

SmartSat unveils terminal for faster, safer military communications

SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), Australia’s leading space research centre, has unveiled the Compact Hybrid Optical-RF User Segment (CHORUS) prototype terminal to create more stable and secured military satellite communications at the 15th Australian Space Forum. Funded by SmartSat CRC, the world-leading technology embedded in this prototype has been entirely developed in Australia by the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), and industry and academic partners, EOS Space Systems and EM Solutions, Lyrebird Antenna Research, Shoal Group, Australian National University and University of South Australia, following three years of research. Satellite optical communications links offer significantly higher data rates and a lower interception probability than standard civilian and military radio frequency (RF) satellite communications, which are vulnerable to electronic warfare, such as jamming, geo-location and interception. CHORUS aims to address the several limitations of satellite-based optical communications technology and open viable commercialisation pathways for new SATCOM capabilities. The new CHORUS Terminal is a hybrid optical/RF system, integrating an RF antenna and an optical telescope into a system called the AntennaScope™. This ensures users have reliable communications all the time and much higher data rates when optical communication is possible. A recent VIP demonstration day at the Department of Defence Edinburgh base showcased the successful completion of testing and marked the practical conclusion of the two phases of the SmartSat CRC co-funded project. The unveiling of the CHORUS Terminal at the Australian Space Forum is the first opportunity for the space community to see the prototype and discuss its capabilities and potential commercial pathways with members of the R&D project team. The project drew on impressive efforts by DSTG to support testing at their LASER range, including designing and building a ‘pseudo-satellite’ to prove the hybrid RF-Optical aperture worked as designed. The availability of an EM Solutions provided Cobra maritime SATCOM terminal* […]

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Redefining recycling sorting technology with Australia’s first AI-powered robot

A robot that uses artificial intelligence to sort used Tetra Pak beverage cartons has been installed at APR Kerbside’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Truganina, Victoria. Aimed at advancing the circular economy, this innovative recycling sorting technology has been funded via a joint investment between Tetra Pak and APR Kerbside. As part of APR’s future plans, aspirations for upgrade and expansion include the opening of new Material Recovery Facilities in Victoria and the commissioning of additional AI-powered robots to be rolled out over the next two years. In an Australian first, food and beverage processing & packaging company Tetra Pak has partnered with (Australian Paper Recovery (APR) Kerbside to implement an AI robot that can identify, and sort used Tetra Pak beverage cartons. The robot has been commissioned at the APR Kerbside Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Truganina, Victoria. This glass-out facility has the capacity to process up to 20,000 tonnes of materials annually and mainly sorts items from the kerbside stream. Such items collected from residents’ yellow lidded recycling bins include paper and cardboard, steel, aluminium, plastics (bottles and containers). The robot has been training, learning to recognise all the different types of beverage cartons, like milk, soy, oat, almond, stock and juice ahead of its final deployment in the coming weeks. The councils that are working with APR Kerbside are excited about this opportunity to divert more valuable resources from landfill. They are eager to expand the current kerbside service offering to their respective residents. Darren Thorpe, Managing Director of APR Kerbside. Vikas Ahuja, Sustainability Director at Tetra Pak Australia and New Zealand said: “Tetra Pak is incredibly proud to be pioneering this exciting recycling innovation with APR to further advance the circular economy in Australia. For us at Tetra Pak, to be the first market outside […]

Rockwell Automation partner for OZ West Musgrave Project

Sustainably mining the in-demand minerals for Electric Vehicle (EV) and battery production Rockwell Automation will be the automation partner for OZ Minerals’ West Musgrave copper-nickel project. The company will supply control systems including its PlantPAx distributed control system, and advanced control and information management systems. OZ Minerals specialises in extracting minerals important for a low carbon future. The West Musgrave Project is a greenfield copper and nickel project located in the remote Ngaanyatjarra Aboriginal Lands of central Western Australia near the intersection of the borders of Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. Production is expected to commence in the second half of 2025. Energy transition minerals like copper and nickel are in high demand globally as the world moves into the de-carbonisation and electrification era. Once operational, West Musgrave is expected to be one of the world’s largest copper and nickel projects. It will also be one of the largest fully off-grid, hybrid renewable powered mines in the world. Initially 80% of its energy will be sourced from renewable wind and solar and there are plans to transition to an electric haulage fleet in the future. Rockwell Automation’s Control Systems will be installed throughout the West Musgrave Minerals Processing Plant to provide an integrated solution for the control and monitoring of the processing plant’s equipment and processes. The systems will be used to control and monitor the mine’s ore processing plant. “Modern minerals producers like OZ Minerals are looking to minimise their carbon footprints by using renewable energy, electrifying their fleets, and working with technology providers like Rockwell Automation to be more productive and more sustainable. We are honored to be working with them on this globally important project,” said Rockwell Automation’s regional director for the South Pacific region, Anthony Wong. Rockwell Automation works with miners and manufacturers […]

PCI Pharma Services announces new sterile fill-finish capabilities

New equipment added to Melbourne and San Diego facilities will help with clinical scale and globa global capacity shortages PCI Pharma Services (PCI), a leading global contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), has announced the operational launch of three new state-of-the-art automated sterile fill-finish machines at its Melbourne and San Diego facilities. “As the capacity for CDMOs worldwide to take on new projects shrinks, we’re excited to be able to offer integrated sterile fill-finish capabilities, alongside our clinical packaging facilities, to new and existing clients in Melbourne and San Diego,” said Brad Payne, Chief Operating Officer, PCI Pharma Services. “Our increased capacity, stockpile of standardised components, including glass, and technical expertise means we can start running batches as soon as needed. This will cut down on the wait times many local biotech and pharmaceutical companies are facing and begin to help alleviate the global capacity shortage for sterile drug product and downstream packaging.” The new innovative machinery from Cytiva can be used to fill various sterile medications into vials and syringes for small-to-mid scale client needs. The equipment, paired with PCI’s end-to-end services, accelerates company’s drug proof of concept studies, and drastically decreases the average turnaround time from proposal signing to the injectable product’s distribution. The Microcell Vial Filler at Melbourne further enhances the early-stage services offered and brings additional capacity to Australia—the world’s leading Phase I environment. These advanced machines expedite the filling process with automation and remove the need for human intervention in a sterile environment, creating compliance advantages over standard equipment. Additionally, the Microcell Vial Filler and SA25 Aseptic Filling Workcell at PCI’s San Diego facility ensures the delivery of medicines from phase I through phase III, supporting local and global Clinical client needs. “There are less barriers to entry to start a clinical trial in Australia, as […]