Smart Manufacturing

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 […]

Cleaning up renewable energy

Researchers at the University of South Australia are leading a national push to ensure the dream of renewable energy doesn’t become a nightmare of waste management. Australia has the highest proportion of household photovoltaic (PV) systems in the world, with more than 21 per cent of homes – or around 2.59 million – now possessing a solar energy system. With most PV systems paying themselves off in three to five years, the average 25-year life span of solar panels makes them an excellent investment, delivering a good return for decades after their cost is recovered. Eventually, however, all good things come to an end, and increasingly, industry experts are starting to ask what we’re going to do with all these solar panels when they are due to be replaced. In Australia alone it is estimated more than 100,000 tonnes of solar panels will enter the national waste stream by 2035. Solar energy expert, Professor Peter Majewski, is leading research at UniSA’s Future Industries Institute (FII) to help establish a lifetime stewardship scheme for Australia’s PV industry, ensuring end-of-life strategies are in place long before solar waste peaks. “We have time to plan for this and ensure the processes are in place, but we have to start acting now, as the right practices may take some time to implement,” Prof Majewski says. “There are good stewardship programs in place for products such as paint and tyres in Australia, and we would like to see a similar system in place for solar, where the disposal process is pre-planned as an integral part of the product lifecycle.” While retired solar panels are relatively safe and stable, they are classified as e-waste, meaning they cannot be put into landfill in Victoria. With similar bans likely to follow in other states, the need for alternative […]

Anatomy of a data-driven supply chain

By Jonathan Attia, Managing Director, Wiise Data is what drives informed business decisions. It’s crucial to have key data points across your supply chain to get complete visibility, and maximise efficiency and resilience. As the Covid-19 pandemic has shown, as soon as there’s an external environmental impact to the supply chain, every facet gets impacted. Businesses have not only had to throw out their forecasts but suddenly experienced major supply-demand issues. Either they had too much stock that was no longer in demand, or they had the right stock that was in demand, but couldn’t keep up with supply. Data is vital in such a situation. Being able to access inventory levels across different locations and warehouses enables business owners and staff to see exactly where they might have extra stock to help supply demand. If you can see exactly what stock is where, you can easily move it around as needed and get it out of the door sooner. Real-time optimisation of your distribution keep both customers and suppliers informed and happy. Data is also important to understand which customers have purchased in the past, and which customers are your top buyers. This enables you to specifically target them with promotions to help get stock out the door faster. For manufacturing businesses, understanding cost of sale is particularly critical to success. You need to be instantly account for changes in shipping fees, for example, so that you’re always selling your products or manufacturing your goods at a profitable level. Profit is key. This means knowing exactly what items you need to produce something, how much it costs to produce it (while taking into account all of the hidden costs such as labour and so on) and how much you should sell it for. To do this, you need the […]

A little ray of sunshine as 2021 economic survey points to brighter times ahead

Peter MartinVisiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Suddenly, economic forecasters are optimistic. Six months ago the forecasting team assembled by The Conversation was expecting Australia’s recession to continue into 2021, sending the economy backwards a further 4.6% throughout the year. This morning, in the survey prepared ahead of the Reserve Bank board’s first meeting for the year and an address by the Reserve Bank governor to the National Press Club on Wednesday, the same forecasting team is upbeat. It expects the recovery that began in the September quarter of last year to continue, propelling the economy forward by a larger than normal 3.2% throughout 2021, with growth slowing to more sedate 2.1% per year by the middle of the decade, still well above than dismal 1.7% per year expected six months ago. The unemployment rate is now expected to remain near its present 6.6% throughout 2021, instead of soaring to almost 10% as expected six months ago. But improvement in the unemployment rate is expected to be slow, and as house prices and share market prices climb, most of the panel expect the Reserve Bank to lose its patience and begin to lift interest rates from their emergency lows before the end of next year, ahead of its published schedule. The 21-person forecasting panel includes university-based macroeconomists, economic modellers, former Treasury, IMF, OECD, Reserve Bank and financial market economists, and a former member of the Reserve Bank board. Economic growth Only two of the panel expect the economy to shrink further in 2021. The rest expect the economy to grow, two of the panel by at least 5%, something that isn’t out of the question given that the economy shrank by 7% during the worst three months of the 2020 coronavirus restrictions and clawed back only 3.3% in the three months that followed. Panellist […]

Mulcahy signs with Epicor to build digital manufacturing platform and turbocharge growth

One of New Zealand’s leading metal manufacturers, has signed a $1 million dollar deal with Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth. The deal will see Epicor deliver a modern end-to-end digital manufacturing platform, allowing Mulcahy to further its digital transformation and be a leading adopter of Industry 4.0 technologies. Mulcahy is one of the country’s largest fabricated metals manufacturing company, partnering with clients in the food and dairy, materials handling, original equipment manufacturing, agriculture, horticulture, and architecture industries. From design to production, Mulcahy partners with product leadership companies helping turn their ideas and intellectual property into a reality, acting as a one-stop manufacturing partner. Innovative technologies from Epicor, which are already helping manufacturers around the world streamline their business processes and break down barriers to growth, will deliver an end-to-end manufacturing platform for Mulcahy to automate its business processes and truly embrace the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution. The solution will provide much greater visibility and traceability – from organisation wide capacity planning and scheduling, job tracking throughout the facility to scheduling machine total productive maintenance (TPM) – helping the organisation gain efficiencies. The Auckland-based, family-owned business, which celebrates 40 years this year, has grown from a small facility with five employees in Gleneden, to a 6,000 square metre plant in Avondale and a team of 140. Ongoing investment in technology is a key part of Mulcahy’s strategy, having invested in state-of-the-art machinery and boosted data capabilities to optimise business operations over the years. However, disparate legacy systems to manage finance, payroll and CAD capabilities developed over the past 20 years are limiting Mulcahy’s ability to gather consolidated data into its SQL database and draw actionable analytics from its connected machinery. With ambitious plans to double […]

Indigenous WA business a formidable force in PPE supply chain

In the picture: Tim Bray (Nextsite) Matt Rear (Spinifex Protect) Jonathan Shih (Nextsite) Adam Barnard (Spinifex Protect). Spinifex Protect is a majority Aboriginal owned business established as part of the response to the Prime Ministers “Call to Arms” for Australian manufacturing with relevant capabilities to join the fight against COVID 19. During the peak COVID 19 period, Spinifex Protect was formed as a joint venture between Spinifex Brewing Company (Majority owned by Rivergum Aboriginal Corporation) and Limestone Coast Brewing. Pivoting immediately Spinifex Protect was able to supply significant quantities of Hand Sanitiser and in July 2020 completed what has now become the largest ethanol manufacturing plant in Western Australia with capacity approaching 50,000 litres per week. “Following months of negotiations Spinifex Protect are pleased to announce today the launch of our latest project entering the supply chain for the provision of the full range of PPE for the Resources, Hospitality and Medical/Aged Care sectors says Rivergum Aboriginal Corporation Chairman and Yamatji man Mick Little” Powered by Nextsite, Spinifex Protect PPE has partnered with major brands such as Mongrel Boots (Aussie born and Bred) Blundstone, FXD, CAT, Bisley Workwear and Typhoon Tools. For further information including launch capability statement for the resources sector visit www.spinifexprotect.com.au

AUSPACK 2021 postponed, relocating to Melbourne May 2022

After careful consideration, the APPMA Board has made the difficult decision to postpone AUSPACK 2021 in Sydney, and re-schedule the next event for Melbourne 2022. Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) Chairman Mark Dingley said, “With an event of this scale and significance, the most important factors in our decision were if we held the event in 2021, the uncertainty around protecting the health and safety of our industry community when it comes together, and preserving the experience and value that exhibitors and visitors alike receive from attending an event the calibre of AUSPACK. “This exhibition is known for the depth of products and services on the show floor, and the unique networking opportunities available from the many events held around the show. With the continuing uncertainty around domestic state-border openings, and the very likely reality that international flights will not be allowed until the second half of 2021, we felt we could not deliver this experience to the same high standards as previously. Moving the event to 2022 was, therefore, the right thing to do from the perspective of human health and the financial and marketing value that exhibiting businesses would receive.” Mr Dingley said the APPMA Board did not want to add to the congestion created by other commercially focused exhibitions moving dates from 2020 to mid-2021. “It’s not really ideal for the industry to have a slew of shows held so closely together, and we believe the value to exhibitors and visitors will be vastly reduced. As an industry-based association, the APPMA believes moving AUSPACK to a later ‘quieter’ date provides the best outcome for industry, including the best financial ROI for exhibitors and visitors.” Jon Perry, Event Director with organiser Exhibitions & Trade Fairs, said, “The last edition of AUSPACK in 2019 at the Melbourne […]

Achieving carbon neutrality: One company’s lessons learned

– Eric Rondolat, CEO, Signify Committing to carbon neutrality can trigger wide-ranging changes in how any company operates. Lessons learned from Signify can help any company understand the challenges and opportunities ahead when tackling emissions. Signify, formerly the lighting business of Philips, achieved carbon neutrality last September, delivering on a promise forged at COP21 in 2015. During the decade, the company also reduced its CO2 emissions by 70%. Achieving carbon neutrality is not for the faint of heart and it’s all the more taxing if you have a multi-national presence, with a global manufacturing footprint and supply chain. We benefited from an early start, having recognized the need to check our emissions earlier in the decade. Still, we learned a lot on our path to carbon neutrality that can help others and speed their efforts. What follows are some nuggets of advice, hard-earned through experience. 1. Embrace systems change First off, success on emissions reductions is dependent on making it core to your strategy. This means drafting business goals that align with and can be accomplished through efforts to reduce emissions. Other steps are also key, including establishing science-based targets, dissecting every aspect of your operations to save energy and emissions, and investing in measurable, worthy projects that offset unavoidable carbon emissions. From the outset it’s important to involve teams from supply chain management, manufacturing, business travel, human resources, energy procurement and real estate, as decisions made by them will directly impact your carbon footprint. Leave no stone unturned. We broke down and reviewed energy use across all our operations. Then we set about transitioning to energy efficient technologies in our offices, manufacturing, and logistical sites. Naturally, installing our own energy efficient LED lighting was a no-brainer. But significant investment was made in energy efficient manufacturing technologies and more efficient HVAC […]

Victorian construction industry utilising first Australian Bluetooth contact tracing solution

The Victorian construction industry is forging ahead on the road to recovery and taking advantage of the latest Bluetooth contact tracing technology, becoming the leaders in Australian safety. Despite a year of constant setbacks, The Commonwealth and Victorian governments have committed to supporting construction jobs across Victoria by jointly investing an additional $525 million to deliver infrastructure projects and urgent road safety upgrades. Within the past three months, Major Roads Projects Victoria (MRPV) and their construction partners Decmil, Fulton Hogan Industries Pty Ltd, John Holland Group Pty Ltd, McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd, Multiplex Constructions Pty Ltd and Seymour Whyte Constructions Pty have all implemented a new contract tracing system as part of a rigorous COVID safe plan across their sites to keep these critical projects on track and Victorians in work. Over 8,700 Contact Harald cards have been distributed across these worksites, with more to follow. Contact Harald is a wearable contact tracing card that is given to all on site visitors including workers. The technology then records and stores interactions that last over two minutes and within a 1.5 metre radius. If a visitor declares symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19, only the recorded users in close proximity to the suspected or confirmed case will be sent an SMS and email via the secure Contact Harald database, owned and administered by the construction company – removing the need for external agencies and nullifying cyber security concerns. In the event of a suspected or confirmed case, this new contact tracing system will notify only those with recorded close contact – this advancement enables construction to continue with minimal disruption. Director of Health and Product at Contact Harald Elissa Reid, said: “Now is the time for key infrastructure to take shape as we ease back into day to day […]

Coffee shop workers standing at the counter

For a unique shopping world: igus low-cost robot in the design of your choice

Custom design robolink robot arm ensures fast automation and a new shopping experience. From industrial use, robots are increasingly finding their way into the retail trade. There they ensure rapid automation of processes and are also a real eye-catcher. Users place high demands on design and reliability at a cost-effective price. For this reason, igus is now offering its low-cost robot – robolink DP – consisting of high-performance polymers, in custom design. Shopping and ordering online has already become part of everyday life, be it for new trousers, an SLR camera for the holidays or the sushi for dinner. Within a few minutes or the next day, the delivery service or the parcel carrier is at the door with the order – convenient and simple. But the new buying behaviour is increasingly building up competitive pressure on the stationary retail trade. Intelligent automation systems for fast shopping are in demand, in the supermarket as well as in the furniture store. Solutions can be: automatic juice dispensers, bread slicers or self-service cash registers with weighing technology, in which igus motion plastics – such as lubrication-free iglidur plain bearings and maintenance-free drylin linear guides – ensure wear-resistant movements. At the same time, retailers such as fashion houses and restaurants can develop store and design concepts that offer customers a new experience. Robots are a popular tool of choice because they are not only a real eye-catcher, but also a practical automation solution. They can give out prizes from raffles, mix cocktails or even cover a pizza with toppings. So far, expensive fun that is rarely found in Australia. With its igus robolink DP, Treotham now offers a new cost-effective solution, which the customer can design individually. Low-cost robots in the desired outfit Last year, igus presented for the first time its robolink […]

«‹ 25 26 27 28 ›»

News Ticker

Smart Manufacturing