Manufacturer's Monthly February 2024

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MANAGEMENT >> TECHNOLOGY >> SOLUTIONS

FEBRUARY 2024

NEW CS SERIES OIL-FREE SCROLL COMPRESSOR Easy to operate electronic controller Integrated dryer

Air cooled design

Super-quiet acoustic enclosure Easily accessible service components

250L air receiver

Energy saving IE3 TEFC electric motor

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DESIGNED TO PERFORM ENGINEERED TO LAST

Integrated solution with dryer, filtration and 250L air receiver.

Ideal for a wide range of applications which require oil-free air including medical, laboratory, and food and beverage processing or packaging.

Single phase: 1.5-2.2 kW Three phase: 3.7-7.5 kW

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MANAGEMENT >> TECHNOLOGY >> SOLUTIONS

FEBRUARY 2024

A LEADER IN

AUTOMOTIVE

MANUFACTURING

INSIDE >>

Official Industry Partners:

20

40

56

Endeavour Awards

Atlas Copco Compressors

Fibre laser technolgoy

>>

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FEBRUARY 2024

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twitter.com/Manmonthly facebook.com/Manmonthly linkedin.com/showcase/manufacturer’s-monthly/ CEO: John Murphy Chief Operating Officer: Christine Clancy Managing Editor: Syed Shah Editor: Josh Farrell joshua.farrell@primecreative.com.au Journalist: Phillip Hazell phillip.hazell@primecreative.com.au Production Coordinator: Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au Art Director: Blake Storey Design: Cat Zappia Sales/Advertising: Emily Gorgievska Ph: 0432 083 392 emily.gorgievska@primecreative.com.au Subscriptions Published 11 times a year Subscriptions $140.00 per annum (inc GST) Overseas prices apply Ph: (03) 9690 8766

Manufacturers’ Monthly Contents 06 Editor’s Note 10 Weld Comment 12 News 14 Manufacturer Focus 18 CAPS 20 Endeavour Awards 40 Atlas Copco Compressors 42 Lifting Equipment

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44 APS Building Components 46 AMDA AUKUS Copyright Manufacturers’ Monthly is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy.

All material in Manufacturers’ Monthly is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

The opinions expressed in Manufacturers’ Monthly are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated. © Copyright Prime Creative Media, 2023

48 Elgi Compressors 50 BlueRock 54 BOGE Compressors 56 Engineering Focus 60 What’s New

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62 Last Word

Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

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Behind the cover

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FEBRUARY 2024

Premcar, a pioneering force in Australian automotive engineering, hassolution evolved Integrated with dryer, from its filtration and 250L air receiver. origins as Tickford Vehicle Engineering to become Ideal for a wide range of applications which require oil-free air including a key player in global automotive and defence medical, laboratory, and food and beverage processing or packaging. industries. In February’s Manufacturer Focus, phase: 1.5-2.2 kW the Australian learn how Premcar has Single penetrated Three phase: 3.7-7.5 kW high-end ute market, diversified its offerings, and committed to sustainability. Also in this issue, we look at the Endeavour Awards, scroll compressors from CAPS, and the AUKUS partnership with the AMDA Foundation.

COMPRESSOR FOR ANY

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Image: Premcar

Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

CHALLENGE

INSIDE >>

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MANAGEMENT >> TECHNOLOGY >> SOLUTIONS

DESIGNED TO PERFORM ENGINEERED TO LAST

Official Industry Partners:

20

40

56

Endeavour Awards winners

Atlas Copco Compressors

Fibre laser technolgoy

>>

SENTRON Protection Devices From digital production environments to the construction and operation of industrial or commercial buildings, failsafe power distribution must fulfill increasingly stricter requirements.

Siemens SENTRON protection devices not only meet these requirements, but also integrate into automation environments and collect energy data to form the ideal solution for safe, efficient power supply.

INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION FAIL-SAFE POWER SUPPLY COMPLIANT

NATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS OF

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NEWS EDITOR’S NOTE

JOSH FARRELL – EDITOR, MANUFACTURERS’ MONTHLY

Image: dusanpetkovic1 / Adobe Stock

Looking to 2024

W

elcome to the first edition of 2024 and the recently revamped Manufacturers’ Monthly magazine.

Over the previous six to eight months, the Manufacturers Monthly’ team have considered how to adjust the magazine to better reflect the industry we all work in.

You will notice updated pages that are more modern than previous, reflecting the forward thinking nature of Australian manufacturing.

For this first edition of the year it is an opportunity to look ahead to what 2024 may hold for Manufacturers’ Monthly and the broader manufacturing industry.

2024 will see much of the National Reconstruction Funding rolled out. This funding has been a hot topic in manufacturing circles for much of 2022 and 2023 but some industry experts are concerned that the fund will not do enough.

Jens Goennemann from the Advanced

6

Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

Manufacturing Growth Centre says the focus in Australia needs to be on “better not cheaper.”

This funding needs to be focused on companies that are creating high-value products and not trying to compete on cost with cheaper offshore manufacturing processes.

State and federal governments have a renewed focus on manufacturing with Queensland announcing that 200 buses will be manufactured locally.

Western Australia is looking to bolster its ship building capabilities while South Australia has been pushing hard to improve its defence capabilities.

With a change of Premier in a few states it will be a time of consideration at the beginning of 2024 but hopefully many states continue to grow their respective manufacturing sectors.

The February edition of Manufacturers’ Monthly was a pleasure to collate with a celebration of manufacturing success at the 2023 Endeavour

Awards at the forefront.

The Endeavour Awards saw some of the brightest manufacturing companies celebrated – so be sure to check out our comprehensive wrap up of all the award winners.

This edition also has a strong focus on compressors – including the cover story from CAPS. Events will be at the forefront of everyone’s thinking at the beginning of the year, with features on APPEX 2024 and a look from AMDA towards AUKUS. The Engineering Focus delves into the world of lasers and how some new technology will intertwine with the manufacturing industry.

Expect to see your regular comments from Weld Australia and the Last word by CSIRO’s director of manufacturing Dr Marcus Zipper.

Happy Reading!

For over 59 years, Manufactures’ Monthly has lead and informed Australia’s manufacturing industries with its highly creditable editorial analysis of the market.

Visit the Manufacturers Monthly website to subscribe to the magazine or to view the AIR LIQ digital UIDE edition.

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For all the latest news including government announcements and breaking news follow us on social media and subscribe to the newsletter by scanning the QR code.

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COMMENT GEOFF CRITTENDEN – CEO, WELD AUSTRALIA

A wake-up call for Australian industry

A

ustralian mining and clean-energy billionaire, Andrew Forrest, is set to plough $54 million into a new battery manufacturing plant in the United States. Fortescue Metal Group (of which Forrest owns the majority share) is also allocating $US550 million to the Phoenix Hydrogen Hub in the US where it plans to build an 80 megawatt electrolyser and liquefaction plant with production capacity of up to 11,000 tonnes a year of liquid green hydrogen.

It is little wonder that Forrest has chosen to invest his millions offshore. In making a smart business decision, Forrest will cash in on the enormous benefits and tax incentives afforded

by US President Joe Biden’s $550 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—incentives that Australia’s governments seem unwilling to entertain.

According to not-for-profit think tank Climateworks, $625 billion worth of investment is needed to decarbonise Australia’s industry and energy system by 2050. This comprises $400 billion of business-as-usual investment by the private sector, and a further $225 billion to transition the energy system.

And yet, Australia is still considering its response to the IRA. Our governments must stop prevaricating over our response to the IRA and enact equivalent policies and legislation that encourage private investment and secure a pipeline for local business. The alternative is that Australia remains a dig and ship economy until we run out of ore— and options.

We must grow our manufacturing capability at a rapid pace if Australia are to have the resources to meet net zero targets.

This is particularly pertinent in the wake of Australia’s declining productivity growth.

According to the Productivity Commission’s

10 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

recently released five-yearly performance report Advancing Prosperity, we recorded just 1.1 per cent growth in in the decade to 2020, the slowest growth rate in 60 years. Australia is now 22 per cent less productive than the US. The transition to net zero, and the policy steps taken in response, will have a huge effect on Australia’s productivity growth over the next 10 years. According to Deloitte Access Economics, an effective transition to net zero by 2050 could prompt an $890 billion increase in GDP over the next 50 years.

Federal Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers himself said: “To realise this opportunity, we’ll need billions of dollars in new investment by 2050 – plus thousands of new clean energy workers in just the next few years alone. With a global race for clean energy capital, we need to invest in our comparative advantages and remain a reliable global partner open to trade and investment.”

And yet, the Federal Government has not allocated funding, or enacted any kind of industry policy, tax incentives, or legislation.

Industry policy needs to stimulate demand and secure Australian content in order to drive investment. The Australian Government must enact a national policy framework that guarantees a sufficiently strong pipeline of work for manufacturers to attract the required investment to build a sovereign renewable energy manufacturing capability. Weld Australia recommends mandated local content of 60 per cent of Australian fabricated steel by kilogram compliant to Australian Standards.

The international context

Australia is already 15 to 20 years behind its international competitors in the global race to net zero and, with every day that passes, we slip

even further behind. Most of our international competitors have already responded to the IRA. It is estimated that the IRA’s provisions will facilitate a 43 per cent reduction in US carbon emissions by 2030. The US, through the IRA, has taken shown tremendous leadership, enacting a plan to tackle the challenges of the renewable energy revolution; a plan with manufacturing at its heart; and a plan that is already delivering unprecedented growth in the sector.

A combination of tax credits, loans and subsidies, the IRA is driving private sector investment in clean electricity and electric vehicle manufacturing. The IRA is an investment in—not a cost to—the US economy. When announced, the IRA was expected to amount to US$391 billion on energy and climate change provisions. However, independent research estimates that this may rise to US$1.2 trillion. It is estimated that this will pave the way for some US$3 trillion of private capital investment in renewable technology and manufacturing—including Forrest’s $54 million.

These bold government-led investment plans have already been echoed in Europe, Canada, India, Japan and South Korea.

The European Union recently announced the Green Deal Industrial Plan, which provides a framework for green technology and critical mineral supply. In addition, in July 2023, approval was confirmed for the European Chips Act, which will support an estimated €43 billion of investment between now and 2030 in measures such as next-generation technologies, and certification procedures for energy-efficient chips.

To achieve national decarbonisation goals, the Japanese government has formulated the Green Development Strategy through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050. The South Korean government is set to embrace the economic opportunities

Image: Soonthorn / Adobe Stock

of decarbonisation through its landmark Korean New Deal. In a landmark March 2023 federal budget, the Canadian government unveiled C$80 billion worth of fiscal programs to accelerate clean energy investments and developments.

The global supply chain

It is probably too late to access global supply chains for the necessary renewable infrastructure and the window to acquire the necessary plant and equipment to establish a sovereign capability is closing fast.

There has already been significant speculation about the capacity of the global supply chain to deliver Australia’s material requirements for the renewable energy transition. Vestas, one of the largest wind tower OEMs, recently noted that their supply chain was already fully booked for 2024 and the only way they could guarantee to supply Australia was to build a local plant.

Australia also has ambitions to become a significant producer, exporter and user of renewable hydrogen. To achieve this we will need to have access to a risk free supply chain of electrolyser stacks.

At this stage it would be safe to assume that Australia, despite its natural advantages and ambition to become an energy superpower, will be a small player in the global market without the scale to secure supply or value. Therefore, relying on the overseas supply chain would pose a significant risk that can only be offset by establishing sovereign manufacturing capability.

If Australia is to develop a sovereign manufacturing capability, then we will also need to develop the accompanying technical infrastructure. It will be imperative that we have a suite of Standards covering all aspects of the manufacturing and construction process.

Most importantly, we will need a set of design parameters that will allow for standardisation of infrastructure, transport and logistics.

Potential for local manufacturing ONSHORE WIND TOWERS Australian manufacturers have significant experience in making durable, innovative and reliable gearbox combinations for the mining industry.

Opportunity 1: There are several Australian companies with international reputations who would have the capability to manufacture high quality gearboxes for wind turbines at a competitive price.

International best practice for wind tower section manufacture relies on a continuous production process suitable for a high degree of automation.

Once established a tower section plant could be run predominantly by a semi-skilled workforce supported by technicians and welding specialists to maintain the equipment and oversee the production.

Opportunity 2: Australia has the expertise to become globally competitive in the production of high-quality wind towers, built to Australian Standards. However, industry needs policy settings that deliver the security of a long-term pipeline of work to secure the required investment.

An Australian company, faced with competing on price, has developed an award-winning alternative solution for wind tower anchors made from 100 per cent Australian steel, 50 per cent of which is re-cycled. This solution only takes two workers with a crane 90 minutes to install and is substantially cheaper than the imported design.

Opportunity 3: Given demand driven incentive policies for local manufacture Australia could become a world leader in the design and manufacture of wind tower anchors.

OFFSHORE WIND TOWERS The floating foundation technology proposed for New South Wales requires steel semi-submersible foundations that will be anchored to the sea floor, most likely with steel suction pile anchors. Local fabricators could manufacture these floating

foundations components and anchors with the right investment conditions.

Opportunity 4: Offshore wind semi-submersible floating foundations and anchors would provide a significant opportunity for the Australian fabrication industry.

TRANSMISSION TOWERS As an alternative to importing flat pack lattice construction kits for transmission towers, Australia could use locally manufactured monopole towers, particularly in more sensitive locations that require a more sympathetic ascetic.

Opportunity 5: Manufactured using similar plant as wind towers transmission, monopole towers could be locally produced at a substantial cost saving.

GREEN HYDROGEN Australia has ambitions to become a significant producer, exporter and user of renewable hydrogen. To achieve this, we will need to have access to a risk free supply chain of electrolyser stacks which form an essential component of a green hydrogen manufacturing plant.

Opportunity 6: Establish an electrolyser manufacturing plant to meet local and regional demand.

The construction of Hydrogen Plants will require a significant number of high calibre welding engineers, supervisors, inspectors and highly skilled all-process, all-position welders.

Opportunity 7: A coordinated training and immigration program should be initiated now to increase the number of welding engineers, technologists, supervisors, inspectors, and welders. This can be achieved by modernising the trade training system and subsidising higher level technical training.

As Treasurer Jim Chalmers said: “We can’t afford to waste another decade of complacency and conflict.”

The Australian Government must act now.

manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

11

NEWS

Queensland government to manufacture 200 buses locally

The first bus is expected to be delivered in Mach 2024.

critical works for Cross River Rail these buses will make sure that commuter impacts are minimised.

Volgren CEO, Thiago Deiro explained the importance of this announcement and what the buses could look like.

“This project is a game-changer for Volgren’s Eagle Farm production facility. It will support hundreds of current and new jobs in Brisbane and create and retain essential skills for the upcoming Zero Emission Bus transition from 2025. Volgren is pleased to have been trusted with such an amazing project,” he said.

“After facing challenging years, during and postCOVID, long-term projects with visibility will allow the industry to invest in local jobs, training, and providing opportunities for the communities.

“Besides being locally manufactured in Brisbane, Volgren buses are predominantly made using

Image: Queensland State Government

The Queensland Government’s commitment to build 200 rail replacement buses locally has hit another milestone with the preferred manufacturers announced.

Scania Australia Pty Ltd and Volvo Group Australia Pty Ltd have both been appointed as preferred builders of the 200 new buses after a rigorous independent procurement process.

The initial $133.8 million investment will ensure the buses are built in Queensland, supporting local manufacturing jobs, skills, and training.

The first bus is expected to be delivered in March 2024 with the full delivery of the 200 buses by the end of 2024.

The buses will be used to ensure SEQ public transport users can travel across the network during track closures on the train network.

Former Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk spoke about the milestone.

“We are a government that backs Queensland manufacturers and today’s announcement is more evidence of that,” she said.

“This is an investment in Queenslanders and the future of our skilled manufacturing sector.

“We know that when we build here in Queensland, we are supporting local workers, local suppliers and the next generation of skilled bus builders.

“Whether it’s trains, or buses, Queensland is the place to build and invest. I look forward to seeing these new vehicles out on the road,” Palaszczuk said.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) currently works with its contracted bus operators to source rail replacement buses during track closures. The new arrangement will mean TMR owns the buses and can deploy them more flexibly across SEQ during track closures on the train network.

With rolling track closures in 2024 to undertake

locally supplied parts and components, creating a circular economy, benefiting the local supply chain, and creating amazing job opportunities for the communities where we are involved.”

“We express our gratitude to the Palaszczuk Government, including Transport Minister Mark Bailey and the Department of Transport and Main Roads, for their unwavering support.

“This project is critical and vital for local businesses to remain viable and investing in the state. It represents a significant stride towards Queensland’s sustainable transportation future, fostering economic growth, job creation, and skills development within the region. Volgren looks forward to the successful delivery of this project and the continued collaboration with the Queensland government to enhance the state’s public transportation network,” Deiro said.

New Rail Collaboration Centre to boost local manufacturing in WA The Western Australian Government has taken another significant step to boost local freight railcar manufacturing with the establishment of a new Rail Collaboration Centre (RCC) in Karratha, with hubs located in Newman and Perth.

Minister assisting the minister for state and industry development, jobs and trade, Stephen Dawson, announced a $998,000 funding package to assist the CORE Innovation Hub to enhance manufacturing and employment opportunities in the Western Australia’s rail sector.

“Establishing a new Rail Collaboration Centre will create jobs, training opportunities, and provide a huge boost to local manufacturing of rail freight

12 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

wagons,” said Dawson “This is another major initiative through the Cook Government’s Local Manufacturing Investment Fund and supports our rail industry.”

The funding, which has been made available under the Cook Government’s Local Manufacturing Investment Fund (LMIF), will support the assembly, manufacture, servicing, research and development of rail freight wagons to take place locally.

The RCC is expected to generate opportunities for local manufacturing, new industry activity, create jobs, and localise training opportunities.

The centre will fill a strategic gap as a collaboration platform to undertake world-class

testing, research and development of new rolling stock, infrastructure, technology, and ideas.

One of the main focuses of the RCC will be supporting and delivering activity and capability in the Pilbara.

The centre will be independently operated by the CORE Innovation Hub – as the partner of the Australasian Rail Association – and take guidance from members of their Heavy Haul Executive Committee, which represents major heavy haul operators.

The Cook Government’s $15 million LMIF is part of an election commitment to support local companies to enhance their competitiveness.

The vehicles will be built at Hanwha Defence Australia’s facility in Victoria.

Image: Hanwha

Hanwha signs $7bn contract to deliver IFVs for the Australian Army The Australian Government has signed contracts with Hanwha Defence Australia to deliver and support 129 locally built Redback infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) for the Australian Army.

The total value of project is approximately $7 billion dollars, representing the single largest investment in Army capability to date. The combined value of the acquisition and initial support contracts is approximately $4.5 billion dollars.

The Redback infantry fighting vehicles will be built at Hanwha Defence Australia’s state-of-the-

art facility in Avalon, Greater Geelong, Victoria delivering hundreds of jobs to the local community.

Deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, said, “this is an important project for the Australian Army that will be delivered by highly skilled workers in Greater Geelong and other centres of Australian manufacturing.”

“This is a significant investment that will properly equip the Army so it can keep Australians safe.

This is another part of our plan for a future built in Australia.”

Independent analysis forecasts that at the peak of its build, this project is expected to support approximately 2,100 jobs inclusive of 1,800 direct jobs.

As announced in July, the Albanese Government is accelerating the delivery of the Redback infantry fighting vehicles, with the first vehicle to be delivered in 2027.

This is two years earlier than the former Government planned, with the final vehicle set to be delivered in late 2028.

Entering into production and support contracts is another step towards Army’s transformation to meet our changing strategic circumstances.

The acquisition of these infantry fighting vehicles is part of the Government’s drive to modernise the Australian Army to ensure it can respond to the most demanding land challenges in our region.

The infantry fighting vehicles will be delivered at around the same time as the new HIMARS missile systems and Army Landing Craft – reflecting the Defence Strategic Review’s call for Army to be transformed for littoral manoeuvre operations from Australia. The infantry fighting vehicles will be operated by the 3rd Armoured Combat Brigade in Townsville.

The project will provide a significant economic boost to Australian defence industry and manufacturing capabilities, with over 90 Australian companies expected to contribute to the Redback’s local build.

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13

MANUFACTURER FOCUS

Automotive manufacturing alive and well Premcar began its life as Tickford, working closely with Ford to develop its highperformance cars. When Ford moved manufacturing offshore, you might think that was the end of Premcar – but you would be wrong.

T

o this day Premcar remains a go-to partner for global car manufacturers – the company currently assembles the premium Nissan Navara Warrior and Nissan Patrol Warrior at its site in Epping.

Manufacturers’ Monthly got the opportunity to tour the facility and speak with engineering director Bernie Quinn, who explained how Premcar works with major car manufacturers and defence companies alike.

“Car manufacturers come to us as they often have special needs which they cannot meet with their own resources,” he explained.

“It is not simply that we have technical capabilities beyond theirs, it’s because we have the ability to meet a specific niche or a quick change in the market.

“These manufacturers look so far into the future when planning, it can be hard to quickly pivot and adjust to market demands as they arise,” Quinn explained.

An example of this was when Nissan turned

14 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

to Premcar as the high-end ute market began to explode in Australia. Ford had launched the Wildtrack, Toyota the Hilux Rugged X, and Nissan knew they needed to find something that would meet this market demand and quickly.

“The dual cab ute market is the fastest growing in Australia and Nissan did not have a player in that space,” Quinn said. “They came to us because they knew this was something we could assist with.

“It was important they partnered with a company that matched the quality their Japanese engineers expect, so for them to come to us was a major show of confidence in our engineers.

“We then delivered the Navara Warrior and it allowed Nissan to swiftly enter the Australian market with a high quality 4x4 dual-cab ute that met its strict standards,” Quinn said.

History

The Premcar journey starts with the 1996 launch of the Tickford-enhanced EL-based Ford Falcon GT. The 220 kW TS50, TE50 and TL50 were released

in 1998. In 2001, the Ford Mustang was launched in Australia thanks to a full right-hand drive conversion program by Tickford.

The Ford Broadmedows plant was building 100,000 Falcons in 1996 and unable to meet any greater output needs. Tickford was able to fill this gap by delivering LPG conversions, sports models, police packs and anything outside the norm.

Prodrive bought Tickford Vehicle Engineering in 2001 and the Australian operation became Prodrive Automotive Technology Australia (PATA) and established Ford Performance Vehicles in a joint venture with Ford Australia.

A change in Australian ownership saw Prodrive Automotive Technology Australia become Premcar in 2012. By then the Ford Broadmedows plant had reduced to 20,000 cars and it was time for Premcar to begin to diversify.

In 2015 Premcar co-developed its first cuttingedge helicopter for a major corporation and Premcar began its extensive defence industry work.

Leading global automotive engineering firm RLE

Image: Premcar

Premcar has been working closely with Nissan since 2017 to deliver the top of the range Nissan Navara Warior.

Image: Premcar

International joined Premcar in 2017.

Based in Germany and with facilities throughout the UK, Europe, the US, China and India, RLE International established its Australian operations with Premcar, giving Premcar access to its vast global new-vehicle engineering and car-making resources, as well as its 2300-strong team.

In 2019 global carmaker Nissan chose Premcar to develop and build a new range-leading version of its award-winning Navara ute model in Australia. Launched in 2019, the Navara N-TREK Warrior by Premcar quickly became popular with Australian buyers.

Its successor, the Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior

by Premcar, was launched to similar acclaim in 2021. It was quickly joined by the Navara SL Warrior by Premcar in 2022, along with news by Nissan it would expand its Premcar-enhanced Warrior program to its Patrol SUV range.

companies do and make into a seamless and consistent integrated process,” Quinn said.

“We utilise our international group to get access to over 2000 employees and use the global reach for our CAD files and the expertise of other sectors.”

Premcar leans on its colleagues globally to meet needs it may not have in Australia or outsource specific time-consuming processes.

The production line works similarly to a classic vehicle production line but that is where Premcar takes the simple concept and turns it into an even better process.

The car rolls along the production line and stops at each station where the team fits the parts, each station fits the same part to every car that comes out of the Premcar factory.

“Each station has the specific tools they need to fit the parts to each car with the highest quality,” Quinn explained.

“Our intellectual property is the manufacturing engineering and not the equipment itself, we need to be able to react quickly and the best way for us to do that is with the right people as opposed to automated equipment,” he said.

The company works diligently to speed up its manufacturing process: the Navara is well honed and it is currently improving the Patrol process to match the Navara.

Premcar utilises a number of processes when bringing new staff on board to ensure they meet

the standards and expectations of the company.

New staff get a full induction, and they go through certifications and then complete onsite training like basic handling and manufacturing processes.

Taking a basic Nissan and turning it into the high-quality vehicles delivered by Premcar means parts are taken off to be replaced by high quality developed-for-Australia components.

These parts could be destined for landfill if not correctly recycled.

“One thing we do is harvest all of the hydraulic fluid out of the Patrol’s HBMC system, we save it and then re-use it,” Quinn explained.

“A lot of the metal and rims are sent off to be melted down and re-used as well. By doing this we ensure we are meeting our environmental needs.”

Learning

Quinn went on to detail how Premcar understands that utilising the global network at its disposal allows it to be far more competitive than it may otherwise be.

“We like to think we can do everything, but we can’t, so we turn to our colleagues to help us when needed,” he said.

“If we need software development we will turn to the UK as they are experts in that and people will turn to us as we are experts in chassis design, it helps us to all deliver high quality products.”

Premcar will complete a range of discrete

The two production lines at the factory in Epping deliver both the Navara and Patrol Warriors.

Manufacturing process

Premcar has recently moved into its new facility around the corner from its original site in Epping where it has secure prototype workshops.

The organisation has secondary manufacturing certification and capabilities, which means it can test, develop, and manufacture a vehicle that meets Australian design rules and standards. This is Premcar’s point of difference when compared to aftermarket fitters.

“We take everything that the aftermarket

manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

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MANUFACTURER FOCUS Image: Premcar

Premcar’s strength lies in its ability to integrate, a skill they have brought to the defence industy.

engineering projects that may or may not lead to manufacturing, but Quinn believes either way is a positive for the company.

“We completed a project to help develop the 35inch rim that goes on the Ford Bronco,” he said.

“We have been working on electrification projects as well, learning those skills as the electric market is set to explode in Australia soon.”

These smaller opportunities allow Premcar to hone its skills so when a company like Nissan turns to it, the process is simple, and the company is prepared for any challenge that may come its way.

Diversifying

Long before the final Ford rolled off the Broadmedows production line, Premcar was considering ways of diversifying and not simply relying on automotive manufacturing in Australia as Quinn detailed.

“I lived in China with my family for four months as we identified it as the fastest growing market and had large potential for us,” Quinn said.

“We began discussions with a range of Chinese manufacturers and we decided we needed to branch out from automotive.

“Defence was an area we knew our skills would

16 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

be well suited to. We won some contracts to move into that space and completed a helicopter design for a Japanese OEM,” he explained.

For Premcar it was confident it would have a resurgence in the automotive space, but it needed to find ways to survive until it could re-enter that market in a larger way.

These projects were pathways back into Australia’s new car manufacturing industry.

“Australia might be a small market in total volume, but it has very specific demands from its motor vehicles,” Quinn explained.

“You look at regions like the Pilbara, mining companies need to begin considering ESG needs far before car manufacturers will meet their needs.

We can utilise our skills to quickly meet those and deliver electric vehicles that have the range for the region.

“We don’t need to build frames and other components, we can order those from overseas, but we can manufacture batteries and electric motor engines to the quality we need and that is how Australia can reignite its automotive manufacturing,” he said.

Quinn and Premcar are bullish about the future of car manufacturing in Australia and expect

companies like Premcar to have a critical role in the roll out of electric vehicles.

Promoting Premcar to the global market

Premcar has succeeded throughout its history marketing itself to some of the largest car manufacturers globally. An understanding of the differences a manufacturer like Ford owned by an American company compared to Nissan and Toyota, both based out of Japan has been critical to its success and demonstrate the trust these manufacturers have.

“A Japanese OEM like Nissan is conservative by nature so for them to put faith in a smaller Australian operation to re-enginner and secondarymanufacture their vehicles was a feather in our cap,” Quinn explained.

“It has been very fruitful for them, and we have continued our relationship and we are about to launch the Patrol Warrior to expand the highly successful Warrior model range.

“It is all about extending the life of these vehicles and extending the revenue opportunities. All of the cars we have developed are well regarded,” he said.

Image: Premcar

Quinn went on to explain that each manufacturer has different expectations when it comes to oversight of the process. Premcar understands what the company is looking for and ensures its processes meets those needs.

The ability to collaborate and quickly adjust to meet the needs of each OEM allows Premcar the opportunity to work with some of the largest manufacturers in both automotive and defence.

AMGC project

Premcar recently completed a project with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre which allowed the company to diversify its manufacturing capabilities to meet the needs of Australia.

This project will allow Premcar to solve the problem of not having export-ready versions of land-based military vehicles. This project will mean that such vehicles will be optimised to access export markets and meet ADF requirements. Additionally, Premcar’s capabilities will be expanded to be appropriate for a number of different land-based military vehicles.

This project will include the installation of a latest-technology powertrain into an existing vehicle, thereby making the vehicle suitable and ready to capture an export opportunity.

These items will be developed and manufactured in Australia and complement the Cummins engine imported from Cummins US. By delivering this engineering program, Premcar will develop sovereign engineering and manufacturing capabilities to support land based military vehicle development and production in Australia.

Premcar will add sovereign capability in the area of defence vehicle powertrain engineering to existing product development and manufacturing capabilities, incorporating the unique requirements presented by vehicles for military application.

By doing so, Premcar will be the only Australianbased organisation with this comprehensive suite of skills.

Managing Director of the AMGC, Dr Jens Goennemann was in attendance at Premcar’s site and explained what the organisation looks for when partnering with manufacturers.

“What Australia needs to do is better not cheaper, we can never make big numbers here, so we need to produce at a higher quality,” Goennemann said.

“We like to work with companies like Premcar as it helps correct the perception in Australia, we currently have more automotive jobs than we did just before Holden closed down.”

Goennemann explained that the misconception is Australia does not manufacture cars any more. The reality is that Australia rarely manufactured cars, they simply assembled them.

“Once we stopped trying to assemble cars, we realised it was better for us to do the high value more complex parts that are more competitive globally,” he said.

“When we look at who we partner with, we

Bernie Quinn has worked diligently to diversify the company and ensure it remains relevant and successful long after Ford sent manufacturing offshore.

want competent companies that can bring other manufacturers along with them.

“We can push the tax dollars further by touching many companies through Premcar, they put their money where their mouth is and that is exactly what we want,” Goennemann said.

For Premcar working alongside the AMGC gave them access to an industry advisor who would walk along the process with them to ensure they were meeting the criteria laid out.

The project facilitator would touch base around the six or seven milestones to evaluate the work.

This allows the company to ensure it reaches its goals at the end of the project.

Quinn explained Premcar’s success and how the company will look to continue this well into the future.

“Our skills are integration, whether it be the Navara or Patrol and now into defence is what makes us a success,” he said.

“Defence vehicles are incredibly complex, you cannot just take out a motor and plonk another one in, you must integrate all of these systems.

“We have brought in knowledge and expertise from the AMGC to improve our defence understanding and ensure that our skills are transferred across successfully and ensure we continue growing.”

manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

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SCROLL COMPRESSOR Image: CAPS

The CAPS compressors are designed to lower energy costs for users.

Compressor for any challenge Manufacturers’ Monthly spoke with CAPS product manager William Chan about how its new series of oil-free scroll compressors help reduce energy costs and increase productivity.

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vast array of manufacturing sectors require clean, dry compressed air to comply with safety and hygiene standards and avoid product contamination or damage.

For instance, oil-free compressors are needed to reduce the contamination risk for food and beverage manufacturers. In the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry, clean air is critical when dealing with toxic chemicals to avoid accidents or process disruption. Product quality is another consideration – expensive electronics must not come into contact with oily or wet compressed air and fabrics in the textile industry can’t be stained or damaged with oil from standard compressors.

The ideal approach to achieving and maintaining this critical air purity is to minimise the risk of contamination in the first place by using oil-free compressors. Though they come with a higher initial capital cost, oil-free compressors offer long-term savings associated with less ancillary equipment and servicing as well as a significant reduction of risk, often making them a worthwhile investment. CAPS Australia meets these requirements with their range of ISO Class 0 oil-free compressors, guaranteeing 100 per cent oil free air for industrial applications.

18 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

CAPS product manager William Chan, who has over 25 years of experience in the air compressor industry, explained how the market has changed over the years.

“From the user’s point of view, when I first joined this industry no one cared about energy because it was so cheap. In the last few years, energy prices have risen causing people to look at the bottom line more. Having compressors as energy efficient as possible helps the end user,” he said.

“From the OEM or distributor point of view, we need to bring products which are not only price competitive, but technologically advanced at the same time.”

CAPS’s new CS Series of oil-free scroll compressors meets all of these needs, offering an all-in-one solution with a dryer, storage tank and compressor in a single unit keeping the real estate of the system as compact as possible.

This smaller footprint translates to higher efficiency, a key component when choosing the right compressed air system particularly as energy prices skyrocket across the country. Offered as single phase from 1.5kW – 2.2 kW or three phase from 3.7kW to 7.5kW, CAPS suggests this integrated solution as

ideal for small industrial applications requiring oilfree air.

The CAPS commitment

Established in 1980, CAPS boasts more than 44 years of experience in compressed air and power generation. As an Australian owned and operated company, CAPS is with their customers from start to finish.

“Our customers can access product managers who have years of expertise in a wide range of technologies,” Chan said.

“We do site visits and interact directly with the customer, which some OEMs can’t provide because they are overseas. We operate in the same time zone and can be with our customers through the entire process, offering suggestions and advice.”

Delivering a compressed air system, especially for the manufacturing segment, often requires a specifically designed system unique to each application. CAPS specialises these in end-to-end solutions, with in-house engineering allowing them to design, supply, and install bespoke, purpose-built systems to clients with specialised applications, and state-of-the-art factory acceptance test bays

Image: CAPS

assuring quality and compliance.

As an independent company with the flexibility to search globally for the best products that are price competitive, technologically advanced, and best serve the Australian market’s needs, CAPS works alongside world-renowned partner brands such as Ingersoll Rand, AIRMAN, Kohler and many more.

“We are not tied with a particular OEM so we can provide the correct solution relative to the client’s interests,” Chan explained. “We represent different compressor brands, meaning we can mix and match for certain applications, rather than being limited to one brand. This is usually in the best interest of the end user.”

With a huge inventory of spare parts and over 60 service technicians covering the whole of Australia, CAPS also makes sure to be positioned to support their equipment for its entire lifetime.

“With ten branches nationwide and 24/7 service for maintenance and emergency breakdowns, CAPS endeavours to lead the industry in service and solutions.”

CAPS ensures it finds a balance between cost effective machines and the latest technologies.

Image: CAPS

CAPS offers critical oil-free air solutions for industries like research and pharmaceuticals.

manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

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ENDEAVOUR AWARDS 2023 Image: Prime Creative Media

2023 Endeavour Awards a success Manufacturers’ Monthly was ecstatic to honour Australian ingenuity and distinction at the 2023 Endeavour Awards, with this year’s victors embodying the fervour alive in Australia’s manufacturing heart.

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he Endeavour Awards for 2023 was a great success for all in attendance, with industry getting the opportunity to rub shoulders with peers and colleagues.

The Manufacturer’s Monthly team was excited to attend once again and support the broader manufacturing industry.

The misconception that manufacturing is on life support is one that the industry has to contend with every day. The Endeavour Awards were yet another

20 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

opportunity to demonstrate the success Australia is currently experiencing.

Manufacturer of the Year Amiga Engineering is a positive example to manufacturers everywhere with the company identifying a range of growth areas that have allowed it to diversify and adjust what it produces to remain successful.

Australia’s burgeoning aerospace industry was on display with Hypersonix taking home an award and the growth of the eco-friendly space was

highlighted with the environmental award taken home by Inox Australia.

All of the individuals and organisations who attended the awards were the cream of the crop, and being nominated for these prestigious awards is an accomplishment they should wear with pride.

In the pages following you will get an in depth look into each company who took home awards this year, throughout 2024 pick up the magazine to learn more about our winners.

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Leader of the year – Anthony Kittel from REDARC group Image: Anthony Kittel

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nthony Kittel has served as the managing director for REDARC for over 25 years, in which time he orchestrated an immense period of growth, expanding the workforce from eight people to over 350 and introducing the company to the international market.

His leadership tenure has been characterised by strong strategic vision, the fostering of innovation, and the promotion of industry excellence.

With a commitment to Australian manufacturing and advanced technologies, Anthony continues to maintain REDARC’s position as an industry leader and steer the business towards sustainable future growth.

“I’ve had a manufacturing background all my career. I did my engineering, mechanical engineering cadetship with BHP in what was a hybrid degree where you got the opportunity to do hands on work alongside the actual degree itself,” Kittel said.

Kittel worked his way up at BHP before moving into the automotive sector where he became general manager of the aftermarket division and gained a mountain of valuable experience. From there he decided he wanted to forge his own path and that is when he purchased REDARC. “At the beginning we made a commitment to ourselves and our customers, we wanted to have some of the best customer service in our sector so that was a major focus,” he said.

“That customer service has remained a cornerstone of our company and it is a free service we provide to consumers or businesses using our products.”

A major focus for Kittel has been focusing on research and development. He invests 15 per cent of annual sales into R&D with around 140 engineers on site continually developing what the company offers.

“In those early days we were not the best, our processes needed improving so it was important we focused on improving that, that was something we worked hard at,” Kittel said.

“We have built some really robust testing over the years; I would argue we have some of the best testing in Australia and that is feedback from our customers that range from defence through to the auto industry.

“We have spent a large amount of money developing our people and making sure we build a great culture and a great workforce. This means people want to work for us and they stay once they do,” Kittel said.

For Kittel, a deep understanding of what

Kittel’s leadership at REDARC is characterised by strong strategic vision, innovation, and promotion of industry excellence.

Australians want from their components is what drives the success of REDARC. “If you are going to the remote parts of the Simpson desert, you want components that will last and that is what we do at REDARC,” Kittel said.

“We want to make sure we can automate our manufacturing process where possible to ensure we keep our product Australian made for Australians.

“We pay attention to our processes incorporating Industry 4.0 and consider ways to automate implementing cobots and robots where possible.

This allows us to compete with low-cost alternatives and export products globally For Kittel, he does not take his role as leader of REDARC lightly, often finding ways to improve his own skillset and ensure the company is moving in the right direction.

“I have travelled overseas to visit successful companies like Airbnb, Uber, LinkedIn, Salesforce and other companies that have been successful to take learnings and identify differences I can bring to REDARC,” he said.

“I completed my MBA and I went to Harvard Business School for the Owner President Management program. There is nothing better than going out and learning and supplementing that with a great board of advisors.

“I always reflect on decisions I have made to ensure that I learn from mistakes and understand correct ones,” Kittel said.

Kittel has surrounded himself with people that challenge his views and ask hard questions. The Endeavour Awards were a confirmation of his success, and he spoke glowingly of the awards.

“I think all too often we don’t celebrate success enough,” he said.

“Being nominated for these awards and the ones who are lucky enough to win it get to demonstrate to their businesses, customers and suppliers that the work they are doing is some of the best.

“We want to compete globally and awards like these allow manufacturers to demonstrate just that but also to give each other a pat on the back and celebrate other organisations success.”

manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

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ENDEAVOUR AWARDS 2023

Safety solution of the year – Lindo Chamber

22 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

Image: Prime Creative Media

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indo Chamber is a chemical free disinfection chamber for use on patient stretchers and other healthcare mobile assets.

Utilising proven germicidal light sources, Lindo Chamber has been designed to mitigate the use of hazardous chemicals traditionally used to disinfect healthcare equipment.

The technology uses Ultra-Violet light in the germicidal wavelength range between 200 and 300 nanometres.

The optimum wavelength for disinfection is 264 nanometres, which is located within the UV-C spectrum. When microorganisms are exposed to germicidal wavelengths, the high energy associated with UV-C light is absorbed by the DNA of bacteria and viruses.

Founder and Director Robert Gangi started the idea of the Lindo chamber for shopping trolleys during covid but quickly realised it had benefits in the health sector.

The trajectory of the Clean Cart product took a turn when Gangi had a conversation with a friend who flies with Air Ambulance Victoria.

“He saw the chamber, and said ‘Rob, that’s a perfect size for a patient stretcher.’ It dawned on us that healthcare could be terrific for this technology,” Gangi explained.

“The idea is to reduce resources, stress and costs by replacing the paramedic’s task of disinfecting a stretcher. A job which can take up to half an hour can be done by the chamber in under five minutes and the only manual labour involved is inserting the stretcher and removing it. Everything else is automated.”

Without the chamber, paramedics use chemical gloves and PPE to wipe down every surface, exposing them to potentially harmful pathogens and surfaces.

The company currently uses a manufacturing partner to create the goods with the company currently focussed on improving its R&D. “We have recently applied for an infrastructure grant from the government that could help us develop our prototyping facility,” Gangi explained.

“This facility will allow us to work on creating innovative products and continue to outsource our manufacturing to companies with better capabilities.

“Our next step will be looking to grow our manufacturing capabilities, we want to manufacture the whole chamber here but we will need to bring in some expertise but that is definitely our next step,” he said.

Lindo’s Robert Gangi and Weld Australia’s CEO, Geoff Crittenden.

The team at Lindo have begun conversation with a range of sectors including defence to begin utilising the product, but this does have some challenges as Gangi explained.

“I think the hardest thing is that there is a perception that you can only kill pathogens by getting them wet, so our completely waterless solution may not appear to kill the germs like others,“ he said.

We have gone to market with evidence based research and then we will even go a step further and we will be putting it into some defence vessels for testing.”

Lindo has identified the Lindo Chamber as assisting with Paramedic burnout, removing the need for time to be wasted cleaning stretchers and getting them back on the road faster.

“I think the thing that covid helped everyone realise is the severe lack of resources on hand,” he said.

“Paramedics are often exposed to chemicals and back breaking work cleaning these stretchers, it really shouldn’t need to be a part of their jobs but

unfortunately it has to be.

“This now frees up a resource and gets them back on the road quicker than ever before,” Gangi said.

Combined with an asset management and tracing system, the chamber is currently in use as a trial at Air Ambulance Victoria (AAV). It has been used successfully since October 2022, with paramedics also using the chamber to disinfect other healthcare equipment like monitors and laptops. The success of the trial lead AAV to ask for a permanent solution. Gangi explained that the chamber is more than just a disinfection solution.

“We’ve expanded the monitoring system so that each stretcher provides an alert each time a stretcher is disinfected, saving that information to a database. We can then set the system to provide an alert when a stretcher hasn’t been disinfected for a certain number of days and provide a record of each time the stretcher was disinfected. This enables easy quality assurance, monitoring, and health and safety reporting.”

ENDEAVOUR AWARDS 2023

Outstanding start-up – Hypersonix

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he trophy cabinet continues to grow at Hypersonix with the company taking out the outstanding start-up of the year after winning the manufacturer of the year at the 2022 event.

The impressive developments recently from Hypersonix has been the High Temperature Ceramic Matrix Composites (HTCMC).

Manufacturers’ Monthly spoke with Michael Smart and Matt Hill from Hypersonix to learn of what the company has been working on in 2023 and what is ahead.

“The HTCMC components have always been used on parts like the leading edges but now utilising these materials on the whole engine can be challenging but will allow us to go up to speeds of Mach 10,” Smart said.

When Hyperesonix came up with this concept, they reached out to a German company who provided the components, and now Hypersonix is beginning to develop these capabilities locally.

“We have begun working with the University of Queensland. It will take time to develop the capability, but it is exciting to have more sovereign capabilities,” Smart said.

As Hypersonix move closer and closer to its launch the company is beginning to consider what the future may look like whether that be defence or commercial aerospace.

“The first applications we got were from defence companies and we enjoy working with these

companies as it helps us really develop our products rapidly,” Hill said.

“We see our product in the future having a variety of commercial applications, which we are currently working through.”

Hypersonix and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, announced an exclusive teaming agreement to provide the Hypersonix DART AE Hypersonic System within the U.S. market, integrated with Kratos’ Zeus family of solid rocket motors.

“The DART AE was never supposed to be a commercial project but we partnered with Kratos as there was a real thirst in the United States for it,” Smart said.

“We are now looking at how we can take elements of that project into our next line of products.”

As Hypersonix continues to edge closer to a full launch of its technology, it needs to understand trends in the industry and what is next in aerospace whilst preparing for its own launch, Hill explained how the company does this.

“Henry Ford once said, if I asked every customer what they wanted, they would have said faster horses,” Hill chuckled.

“We will look at what is going on in the space we are in, but we are supremely confident in our technology and how it is positioned ahead of the marketplace.”

Smart explained further.

Hypersonix is no newcomer to winning at the Endeavour Awards winning in 2022, and again in 2023.

Image: Prime Creative Media

24 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

“What we are doing is so deep tech that we have to build ahead of the market,” he said.

“The DART AE is a prime example of we need to sometimes just get it out there and now we can take learnings from that towards our bigger vehicle which will be fully reusable.

“We would love to see this technology used in commercial aviation but that would be a long way away yet,” Smart said.

Hill explained how the company would like to be positioned.

“We do not want to be seen as a defence only company, we are extremely grateful for the support they provided us, but we want to be in a variety of spaces,” he said.

For Hyperosnix, this award is just another in a long list of awards the young company is beginning to rack up, Hill detailed what these awards mean for the manufacturing industry in Australia.

“We are such a burgeoning manufacturing industry in Australia, we are definitely re industrialising our manufacturing base, and it’s definitely happening. But we’re doing it in a way that’s much smarter and more sustainable from an economic perspective,” he said.

“These awards are so important as they are a way to rub shoulders with your peers who are in completely different verticals.

“It allows us to grow relationships and it is nice to celebrate our partners like Amiga Engineering who took home awards on the night.”

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ENDEAVOUR AWARDS 2023

Technology application award – Verbotics Image: Prime Creative Media

Verbotics was presented the award by the sponsor, Beckhoff Automation.

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he rapid growth of welding robots has seen the need for programming for these robots explode in recent years, Verbotics has created the Verbotics Weld program to better meet the needs of manufacturers.

The impressive program took out the Technology Application Award for its ability to automatically program welding robots.

Industrial robots are great tools for automation, but programming them is expensive, time consuming and difficult.

This means only high-volume manufacturers can use robotics, as programming is simply too expensive and inflexible for high-mix low-volume manufacturing.

Dr Andrew Short is the technical director at Verbotics and co-founder of the program.

“Verbotics software automates the entire programming process, making it quick and easy to program welding robots,” he said.

“It makes robotic welding automation viable where it previously was simply impossible to use.

This enables manufacturers to gain the quality, productivity, and safety benefits of robotic welding.”

Short and his co-founder Nathan Larkin were researchers at the University of Wollongong.

Working a number of projects, the pair spent

26 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

a number of years adding tools to improve the automation programming.

The company was then founded in 2017 and the first products hit the market in 2019, but as is the case with any launch, the pair had to overcome a number of challenges.

“A major challenge for us was moving from a research background into a commercial product,” Short said.

“Something that we also found challenging was explaining to manufacturers that our transformative software is a viable option for them even if they have never considered robots before.

“For us it is going out to manufacturers and showing them that we can unlock the opportunity for them and changing the thinking,” he explained.

Short explained that Verbotics has had the opportunity to work with a range of manufacturers including those that have been pushing the envelope of automation and robotics and others that are slightly more reluctant to move into this field.

“In our discussions with welders they are identifying automatic welding machines to meet skills shortages, working alongside skilled welders as opposed to replacing them,” he said.

Short went on to detail the process of creating the program to suit the needs of the manufacturer.

“We gather some information about their robotic work cell and we build a digital twin of it, we run through a calibration process to gain a certain level of accuracy to match the real world,” he said.

“We go through some training and testing code with customers, and hand over the software so they can generate code and understand how the software itself works. It automates the end-to-end programming process for robotic welding. You import a 3D model of the party or the welds, we analyse the geometry to ensure the highest quality weld.

“We run through and figure out all the robot stuff, so we’ll plan all the motions for the robot to get in, make sure they’re collision free plan and optimise welding toolpath to satisfy their constraints that they put in,” Short explained.

The Endeavour Awards was a momentous moment in the growth of Verbotics and Short explained why the awards night is so important for the manufacturing industry.

“I think the awards are fantastic,” Short said.

“We don’t get the opportunity always to network with both manufacturer and end users and other people also in a similar space to us.

“It was great to see supporters like Weld Australia and some of our integrator partners, but the best part was being able to connect with new people.”

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ENDEAVOUR AWARDS 2023

Excellence in growth – Sunset Sleepers

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n 2021, Damian and Miguel Donnenfeld took charge and embarked on a journey dedicated to enhancing safety, quality, capacity, and environmental impact at Sunset Sleepers.

Sunset Sleepers is a leading manufacturer of highquality concrete sleepers from Melbourne, who are also the first concrete sleeper manufacturer in Australia to be verified under the Global GreenTagCertTM McV™ Manufacturer Claim Verification program with ‘Eco-preferred Products’.

Global GreenTag are a simple, single statement verification marks that are awarded by a third party trust that demonstrate a product’s environmental and health claims.

From the early days of manual labour and heavy lifting, Damian and Miguel have revolutionised the company’s operations. Though the journey is ongoing, the remarkable results speak for themselves.

Each step forward has been driven by an unwavering commitment to excellence as Miguel explained.

“It’s been a roller coaster, to be honest it was really hard, particularly in the first year. We have a company that we bought in the middle of covid and that brought a lot of problems,” he said.

“We were working in the factory ourselves at the beginning, doing the work as we were left without people for a few weeks, until we started getting new staff in.

“We started creating a strong culture in the company, it was important to get people with the right kind of values into Sunset Sleepers to ensure we could be successful,” he said.

For the pair, a major focus was improving safety at Sunset Sleepers. Visits from WorkSafe were seen as a positive for the team as they could work closely with the organisation.

“The first thing we began to look at was assists to help move the heavy sleepers, it was all about physics, using that to improve manual handling and safety,” he said.

“By doing that we improved our safety standards whilst also improving productivity and in turn our

overall output.”

The company will continue to look for opportunity to grow from this point.

“We are very focussed on the Victorian market, with products like ours it tends to remain relatively local, so we build jobs locally to supply the local market.

“We will be aiming to open a second factory soon, this will allow us to better meet demand and continue our growth.

“We will consider whether we open a second one in Victoria or look towards expansion in other states,” he said.

While winning an Endeavour Award doesn’t necessarily make an impact on customers, it is validation for the pair that they’re on the right track – and that they should be proud of the work they’ve done.

“Our clients won’t change a lot after an award like this,” Miguel said.

“It demonstrates to us that our peers can see we are doing good work and we should continue on this path to even greater success.”

Image: Prime Creative Media

Sunset Sleepers took home the award sponsored by BDO.

28 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

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AUDIT • TAX • ADVISORY

ABOUT US The Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance operates as the Jobs and Skills Council for manufacturing.

Our role is to work with the manufacturing industry to ensure it has the skilled workers it needs for the future.

We bring together employers, unions, other industry representatives and governments to identify practical solutions to skills shortages.

Skills shortages are the biggest workforce challenge facing the Australian manufacturing Industry.

There are 356,000 workers employed in core manufacturing production occupations in Australia, with most of the largest occupations facing a national shortage.

Australia needs to increase its manufacturing expertise and capacity – and it needs the skilled workforce to do so.

+16% by 2033

Projected employment growth within the manufacturing industry.

60,000+

renewable energy manufacturing workers needed by 2030 for the construction and maintenance of clean energy assets.

You have a role to play Help shape our work by sharing your on-the-ground workforce challenges. We’re keen to speak with as many sectors as

Scan here to stay up to date with how we are supporting the manufacturing industry to succeed.

The Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance proudly sponsors the Endeavour Awards ‘Excellence in Manufacturing Skills Development’ category.

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possible, to ensure the skills taught today match the needs of the manufacturing industry of tomorrow.

Contact us to start a conversation hello@manufacturingalliance.org.au

Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance is a Jobs and Skills Council funded by the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

19/12/2023 9:36:44 AM

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ENDEAVOURAWARDS.COM.AU

Excellence in manufacturing skills development – Weld Australia

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eld Australia has taken out the excellence in manufacturing skills development award at the 2023 Endeavour Awards for the MEM Training Package Resources.

A combination of challenges led to the creation of this training.

Welders are more in demand than ever—labour shortages are inhibiting the growth of Australia’s welding industry. According to Weld Australia’s members, 50 per cent of Australia’s welding workshops are currently operating at 80 per cent of their capacity or below. When asked why this is, a lack of skilled workers was the overwhelming answer.

The Federal Government recently added an extra 39 occupations to the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List. The list has grown to encompass 111 occupations, as Australia continues to struggle with skills shortages across a range of different sectors— particularly welding and fabrication. 11 per cent of the occupations included in the Priority List are now related to welding.

Weld Australia has designed and created a suite of resources for delivery of the 12 welding and fabrication units of competency in the Manufacturing and Engineering (MEM) Training Package. The goal is to help ensure that high-quality welder learning is consistent across the country.

Our resources help simplify the learning process for students, teachers and training institutes and— most importantly—place the student at centre of the learning process.

Weld Australia believes that a national industry, which has a national learning package, needs national learning resources. Whether you’re an apprentice in Kalgoorlie, Ultimo or Davenport, you should have access to the same, high-quality training.

South Metropolitan TAFE in Fremantle, Western Australia was the first training organisation to facilitate an official pilot. The feedback received from students and lecturers alike was extremely positive.

According to Jonathon Maile (Executive Director – Engineering, Transport and Defence, South Metropolitan TAFE), “The resources have been terrific, not only for our team here at South Metro TAFE, but we’ve also upheld these and shared these with some external customers as well. So from a quality perspective, the resources have been tremendous.”

“Being able to link in with Weld Australia and other TAFEs, improved training outcomes—there is a better consistency from a technical perspective Australiawide. It has improved our focus on digitisation

Image: Prime Creative Media

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and e-learning, and the increased the flexibility of how we deliver. We’re able to utilise these training resources in class to support lecturers.

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Easy to use. The platform on which all the resources are hosted features a simple, easy to navigate user interface where students can find what they need as quickly as possible.

Better use of on-campus time. With a comprehensive suite of resources at their fingertips, students can focus on developing their practical skills while on-campus, rather than reading through theory.

Unlimited access. Students have unlimited access to all resources, throughout their entire period of enrolment in the unit. This means students can go back and revise material if they need to.

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Save time. With a comprehensive suite of resources at their fingertips, teachers slash preparation and administration. Leaving more time to devote to students or reducing overall working hours.

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Easily integrated. The online platform that houses all the MEM resources is called Weldpool. Weldpool is a purpose-designed Moodle platform that integrates easily with your own Moodle, or a blackboard website.

manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

31

ENDEAVOUR AWARDS 2023

Environmental solution of the year – INOX Australia

I

NOX Australia is a food and processing company that has begun to diversify into other areas of the manufacturing supply chain, which is where we see this award come from.

INOX was approached by BlockTexx who is a clean technology company that recovers polyester and cellulose from textiles and clothing. The company’s mission is to divert textiles and clothing away from landfill and accelerate the global textile recycling industry toward a sustainable future.

BlockTexx turns textile waste into a resource, stimulates the production of new products, and meets consumers’ demands to reduce the environmental impact of our everyday clothing.

INOX Australia was approached initially with a process scope from the company and their engineering support team to collaborate, design and supply a system to meet their unique process to achieve their required product outcome.

This process was a world first, so existing technology did not exist that matched their requirements. INOX quickly changed the design thought process from the company’s initial idea, into a processing piece of equipment that was the culmination of INOX’s 25 years of experience with the design of bespoke food processing equipment, relating mostly to efficient and innovative thermal

processing design techniques and operating features.

The equipment, an 8000L Reactor vessel, was developed, built, and commissioned in late 2022 and was so successful with its effectiveness and product result, that a second unit was supplied in late 2023.

Manufacturers’ Monthly spoke to INOX’s managing director Robert Becher to learn more about the process the company undertook to develop this solution.

“The part that we created is effectively a large reactor which is a big stainless-steel tank which has steam and chemicals injected into it and the temperature goes up,” Becher explained.

“The key was to design the system to not be touched at all during the process to maximise safety. That was the most challenging part of the engineering process and that is where our expertise really came to the fore.

“We have been designing and building equipment for 20 to 30 years so when we get projects like these we think back to the 1000s of projects we completed to deliver this one,” he said.

A challenge that INOX can often face is gaining trust from those who come to them to make adjustments to their original ideas to ensure they

are a success.

“It is amazing at times when a company comes to us and puts their trust in what we do,” Becher said.

“They can have a bit of reluctance at first, but I think allowing the process to be truly collaborative can help to minimise those feelings.”

Becher explained the importance of awards like the Endeavour Awards when it comes to celebrating success like the BlockTexx project.

“I think winning an award like this just raises awareness for interesting environmental projects that are out there at the moment,” he said.

“More and more organisations are going down this path and companies like ours will be required to meet these needs.

“When you look back 20 to 30 years ago you would have to go overseas for these kind of projects but now people need to know they can turn to local Australian made products,” he said.

The success of this first project has buoyed the team to continue pushing the envelope and developing what they can offer to the Australian market.

They ordered their second machine just three months after the first so it really demonstrated to us that we were capable and we will take that forward to even more projects we work on.”

Image: Prime Creative Media

INOX Australia takes home the Environmental solution of the year sponsored by Capral Automation.

32 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

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ENDEAVOUR AWARDS 2023

Project of the year – GeelongPort

G

eelongPort has secured the prestigious Project of the Year award at the 2023 Endeavour Awards, a testament to their innovative efforts in transforming Corio Quay South precinct into the new home for Spirit of Tasmania. This ambitious undertaking spanned over two years and involved meticulous planning, coordination, and execution.

GeelongPort’s dedicated project team and partners managed a trio of extensive construction packages encompassing marine works, landside construction, and refurbishing the passenger terminal building. The 12-hectare new precinct isn’t just a state-of-the-art passenger and freight terminal; it’s a comprehensive facility featuring a 600-car vehicle marshalling area, parking for 150 semi-trailers, crew accommodations, a café, and even a children’s play area.

This project has redefined global standards for terminal ferry facilities, demonstrating exemplary practices in engaging with local communities and traditional owners. The project also boosted the local economy by predominantly hiring Australian contractors and suppliers.

“The construction of Spirit of Tasmania Quay was a complex amalgamation of marine, civil,

Image: Prime Creative Media

GeelongPort’s project has redefined global standards for terminal ferry facilities.

and architectural efforts,” said Sinead Redmond, head of infrastructure delivery at GeelongPort, in discussing the challenges of the project. “Our pride lies in the unique three-level access ramp, a global first, accommodating diverse vehicle types simultaneously. Despite COVID-19 lockdowns, supply chain delays, and weather challenges, our team’s resilience and the support from local contractors were pivotal.”

On the strategic necessity of the project, Redmond commented, “Spirit of Tasmania’s move from a constrained one-hectare site in Melbourne to a custom-built, 12-hectare terminal in Geelong marked a significant transition. This move catered to their future needs, welcoming larger vessels, and resulted in a record 450,012 passengers in the 2022-23 Financial Year. Moreover, it contributed to creating 750 jobs and boosted Geelong’s tourism revenue by $21 million in just one year.”

Redmond also highlighted the invaluable role of external stakeholders, stating, “the collaboration with local residents and the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) was instrumental. Their input not only influenced the construction methodology but also enriched the terminal with Indigenous art and landscape

design. A significant feature is an 80-metre mural, showcasing the narrative of the orange-bellied parrot, symbolizing the connection between Victoria and Tasmania.”

Looking forward, Redmond expressed optimism about the project’s long-term impact. “The arrival of Spirit of Tasmania has bolstered the link between regional Victoria and Tasmania, promising to unlock further trade and investment opportunities. This strategic relocation is an exemplar for other entities considering expansion in regional centres.”

On the significance of the Endeavour Awards recognition, Redmond stated: “Being honoured by our peers in the manufacturing industry is immensely gratifying. It not only acknowledges our hard work and innovation but also encourages us to continue setting high standards in our future endeavours.”

GeelongPort’s journey in establishing the Spirit of Tasmania Quay is a story of vision, collaboration, and perseverance. The successful completion and subsequent recognition of this project underscore the potential of innovative infrastructure projects to stimulate local economies, enhance connectivity, and create lasting community impacts.

34 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

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ENDEAVOUR AWARDS 2023

Most innovative manufacturing company – AMIGA Engineering Image: Prime Creative Media

Amiga has positioned itself at the forefront of Additive manufacturing in Australia.

A

miga Engineering is an Australian based manufacturing company known for its innovation and advancements in the industry.

Starting as a small business in 1988, Amiga has grown into a leading manufacturer in the country, providing advanced manufacturing services to a range of industries. Amiga has made significant investments in additive manufacturing which has enabled them to create complex geometries and intricate designs with great precision.

The company has also established Australia’s first metal powder atomising machine, allowing them to produce high-quality metal powders that are essential for advanced manufacturing processes.

Despite its humble beginnings, Amiga’s commitment to innovation and excellence has enabled it to become a leading player in the manufacturing industry. With its cuttingedge technologies and focus on customer satisfaction, Amiga continues to provide advanced manufacturing solutions to a range of industries, both in Australia and internationally.

Founder and director Michael Bourchier explained how the company diversified operations to remain relevant in the Australian manufacturing landscape.

“We identified the additive space as one we could

36 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

move into, we could bring our skills to that field and be one of the first in Australia to capitalise on this technology,” he said.

“We invested strongly in this technology; we made the conscious decision to go for the top end of this technology and it has paid off.”

Amiga engineering has positioned itself at the forefront of additive manufacturing in Australian and is becoming a go to partner for those in the aerospace industry.

“We have worked closely with Hypersonix to help them deliver the Dart AE project, providing knowledge and expertise around the development,” Bourchier said.

Bourchier explained that Amiga had to adjust from what had made it successful in the past and move towards becoming a company that was future proofed.

“The company began its lifer producing pipe flanges, fittings and special components for companies like BHP and Esso and their gas lines,” he said.

“Unfortunately for us they decided they wanted to source these components from overseas, so we knew it was time to innovate and take our skills somewhere else.

“We still sometimes complete emergency work

for these companies, but we know we have the ability to complete bespoke projects and this is how we identified Aerospace as an area we could move into,” Bourchier said.

As Bourchier explained, additive manufacturing will never 100 per cent complete a component so it will always require an extra step to be utilised.

“3D metal printed requirements will always need extra machining on tight toleranced areas, and that is where our expertise really comes in. With a fully versatile CNC machine shop that works with our metal 3D capabilities under one roof is unique,” he said.

“We will ensure the components are printed to the highest quality and then machine them to the exact specifications the clients require.”

The company also manufactures the only australian made brand of industrial gearboxes, general fabrication and industrial maintenance all in a bespoke nature to suit the needs of clients.

The industrial gearboxes which are the Genat and Wood branded gearheads are known for longevity and durability, ideally suited to the Australian market.

The company continues to find ways to innovate with Bourchier noting that they will be bringing more additive machines on board to meet their needs moving forward.

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ENDEAVOUR AWARDS 2023

Manufacturer of the year – Amiga Engineering

A

fter taking home the most innovative manufacturing company award at this year’s Endeavour Awards, Amiga Engineering quickly returned to the stage to receive the manufacturer of the year.

The award is a culmination of hard work from founder and managing director Michael Bourchier and the team at Amiga Engineering.

Amiga Engineering is a beacon in the Australian manufacturing landscape for diversifying and meeting the needs of wider industry and remaining relevant.

“We knew to stay competitive and relevant in Australia we needed to identify opportunities that would suit the Australian market,” Bourchier said.

“That was when I decided to shift into the additive manufacturing space, which lent itself to the aerospace sector that was beginning to take off in Australia.”

Bourchier shifted the focus for Amiga Engineering from what had served it so well in the past. While this decision may have appeared daring at the time,

38 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

were proud to take home the award.

“It is nice to be recognised for the work we do and to celebrate alongside some of our closest partners such as Hypersonix.

“Awards like these are so important to celebrate the manufacturing industry and we were honoured to take home the main award,” he said.

Bourchier acknowledged that the success of the company was not simply down to him but it was a true team effort for the growth and success of Amiga engineering.

“I wanted to take the time to thank my wife who has been along for the entire journey supporting me all the way and being a critical cog in our success,” he said.

“My daughter Dee has been an immense help in really bringing our company into the 21st century, updating our website and improving our marketing strategy.

“The broader team has been critical to our success and without them the company would not exist without them.”

Image: Prime Creative Media

Amiga Engineering takes out the top award of the evening.

the company has reaped the rewards ever since.

“We have been privileged to work with some really exciting manufacturers like Hypersonix since we moved into this space,” he said.

“It has allowed us to not only survive but thrive since we adjusted our direction, making this change was so critical.”

Aerospace is quickly becoming an area of focus for Australian manufacturers and government agencies. Queensland has released its Queensland aerospace roadmap, and the federal government released its future of Australia’s aviation sector.

Amiga engineering is well positioned to support this growth and will continue its own growth alongside this growing industry.

The manufacturer of the year award was an exciting moment in Amiga Engineering’s history and Bourchier was taken aback by the award.

“We honestly didn’t even know we were up for the award,” Bourchier laughed.

“Some impressive manufacturers were in attendance at the event and to go up against them

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SUSTAINABLE COMPRESSION

Compressed air solutions for a sustainable future Atlas Copco is actively contributing to the global shift towards a carbon-neutral economy by introducing innovative initiatives that align with the goals of the Paris Agreement, emphasising sustainability and offering tangible benefits to its customers.

Image: Atlas Copco

Saving energy is achieved by harnessing and utilising waste heat.

A

carbon-neutral economy, striving to balance carbon emissions with removal efforts and reduce net CO2 emissions to zero, stands as a strategic imperative for businesses today. Beyond mere aspiration, this transition promotes sustainability, innovation, and a healthier planet. Countries and companies worldwide commit to achieving the net-zero goals set forth in the Paris Agreement.

Focused on finding solutions to meet these ambitious targets, Atlas Copco introduces a range of groundbreaking initiatives that not only contribute to sustainability but also bring tangible benefits to its customers.

As global leaders in sustainable productivity solutions, Atlas Copco continues to pave the way for a greener future. With a rich history spanning 150 years the company stands at the forefront of innovation, blending cutting-edge technology with

40 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

a commitment to reducing environmental impact.

Their advanced compressed air systems have helped customers worldwide reduce their carbon footprint by more than half.

Low carbon utility rooms: redefining industrial spaces

In the face of our pressing climate challenge and the prevailing carbon-based economy, the adverse impact of industrialisation becomes increasingly evident. Today, one of the contributors to environmental degradation lies in the inefficiency of carbon-intensive utility room. These spaces, integral to various industries, often play a role in exacerbating our carbon footprint. However, amidst this challenge, Atlas Copco emerges as a beacon of sustainability. The company pioneers a transformative solution through the concept of

low carbon utility rooms, redefining the narrative surrounding industrial spaces. This forwardthinking strategy also lays the groundwork for a more environmentally friendly and accountable industrial future.

Commitment to energy efficiency

Atlas Copco’s commitment to energy efficiency has been a constant throughout their history.

The company continues to lead the charge with a range of products designed to optimise energy consumption across various industries. Among these are efficient compressors, designed to deliver superior performance while minimising energy usage.

By incorporating the latest energy-efficient equipment, businesses can comply with both current and future standards, benefiting from

Sustainable solutions through energy recovery: customised solutions for efficiency

Energy recovery is a vital process involving the capture and utilisation of wasted energy to boost efficiency and minimise environmental impact.

This entails converting wasted energy into usable forms for electricity generation, heat production, or mechanical work. Therefore, Energy recovery plays a pivotal role in elevating overall energy efficiency and mitigating the environmental footprint across diverse sectors.

Incorporating waste energy recovery technology into a compressed air system allows the recovery of a significant portion of the energy utilised by the compressor. By utilising the generated heat elsewhere up to 94 per cent of compression heat can be reclaimed. This efficient heat recovery system typically pays for itself in less than three years resulting in reduced operating costs.

Implemented energy recovery solutions have helped save 1.3 billion kW hours, the reduction of 809 thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, and the preservation equivalent to 1.36 million trees so far.

On-site oxygen and nitrogen solutions

Recognising the growing demand for essential gases across different applications, Atlas Copco offers on-site oxygen and nitrogen solutions in their portfolio. These on-site solutions offer unparalleled efficiency, eliminating the need for traditional gas supply methods and reducing transportation-related carbon emissions. Whether supporting medical facilities, enhancing industrial processes, or meeting the requirements of the food and beverage industry, the on-site oxygen and nitrogen solutions exemplify the company’s dedication to advancing sustainability and meeting the evolving needs of a dynamic global landscape.

CO2 recovery and storage

Carbon capture is a method aimed at recovering and reusing carbon dioxide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Atlas Copco offers solutions to support manufacturers carbon capture operations. The company’s compressors play a vital role in increasing the size of CO2 for reuse or storage because CO2 is not very dense.

Atlas Copco’s expertise eliminates the need to purchase additional CO2, making it an ideal partner for industries involved in food, packaging, or fertiliser production. Embracing carbon capture demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding a collective world and actively contributing to its preservation.

Image: Atlas Copco

environmentally friendly and energy-efficient air compressors. The team is always innovating to meet new standards so customers can benefit from the latest technology.

Atlas Copco strives to deliver a product with the flexibility to meet the needs of any industrial user.

Connect and monitor machines: smart solutions for industry 4.0 In the era of Industry 4.0, connectivity is paramount and knowing the status of compressed air equipment and being able to react on it, is the surest way to achieve optimal efficiency and maximum availability. Atlas Copco’s SMARTLINK emerges as a transformative force, connecting equipment, systems, and processes to a centralised platform. This intelligent monitoring system provides real-time insights into machinery performance, enabling predictive maintenance and energy optimisation. SMARTLINK enhances productivity, facilitates responsible resource management, and ensures a harmonious balance between industry operations and the environment.

Over 150 years of innovation

Last year marked a significant milestone for Atlas Copco as the company celebrated its 150th anniversary. The celebration was not just a reflection of its past but a commitment to shaping a sustainable future. The legacy of innovation is woven into the fabric of the company’s identity, and with every passing year, solidifies their position as pioneer in sustainable productivity.

This rich history of innovation is hardly surprising for a company that has maintained market

leadership for over a century. The trailblazing technologies represent ground-breaking innovations that have reshaped the landscape of compressed air technology. From introducing the first VSD (Variable Speed Drive) compressor to developing controllers capable of receiving updates for continuous improvement, from pioneering remote monitoring technologies and energysavings algorithms to unveiling a revolutionary solid desiccant dryer – each advancement underscores their commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible. The commitment extends beyond enhancing equipment to exploring innovations in evolving industry needs, for example compressing hydrogen during its production, transportation, and usage.

A symphony of sustainability

With a portfolio beyond compressors, which include intelligent solutions, Atlas Copco not only empowers businesses to achieve unparalleled operational efficiency but also ensures a substantial reduction in their carbon footprint.

As Atlas Copco embarks on its next 150 years, the company’s legacy of innovation and sustainability propels it forward, resonating with a global audience eager for solutions that transcend the challenges of the present and lead the way to a more sustainable and prosperous future.

manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

41

HOISTS AND CHAINS Image: Kito Crosby

The CH Meter allows companies to easily plan their preventative maintenance on the hoists. This eliminates costly down times and the risk of future accidents.

No substitute for quality Manufacturers’ Monthly took the time to talk to the team at Kito Crosby to better understand the range of hoists and what separates the quality of its products from its competitors.

K

ito Crosby Australia (Kito PWB) is a leading supplier of high-quality products in the lifting and rigging industry. Established in Australia in 1923, it has a rich history of serving the market. Since April 2016, it has been a part of the Kito Corporation, a global leader in hoists and cranes. In January 2023, Kito Corporation joined forces with The Crosby Group, a world-renowned provider of lifting and rigging solutions. Together, they formed Kito Crosby, one of the largest and most innovative companies in its field.

The safety of all users is at the core of what the company aims to achieve, not just within the organisation, but for the lifting industry overall. In conjunction with safety, KITO has invested heavily into designing products which reduce downtime and

42 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

foresee future problems before they happen.

With this in mind, Glenn Morgan, national hoist specialist, explained the company’s advanced form of maintenance.

“All of the maintenance is set out in the manual.

It can tell you when to change the oil, when to check the brake and even when to complete a major inspection, not simply by time but by usage,” Morgan said.

“This provides a pathway for appropriate preventive maintenance to be conducted to ensure the hoist is operational for when you need it.”

Morgan explained that many users will change hoists prematurely and the Kito Crosby range of hoists eliminate this problem for users.

“Majority of crane service companies advise their

customers that hoists must have a major overhaul or be replaced after 10 years. This is based on the date of manufacture,” he said.

“The Kito RY, ER2, EQ & EQS hoists are fitted with our CH Meter, that counts hours of usage and number of operations, this information is then used with the owner’s manual to determine when parts or lubrication needs to be replaced or checked. Some hoists may sit on a shelf for one to two years before they are installed, the CH Meter is the best indicator of where the hoist is, in its working life.

“The CH Meter allows companies to easily plan their preventative maintenance on the hoists, this eliminates costly down times and the risk of future accidents,” Morgan said.

Hoists with the CH Meter includes the powerful –

Image: Kito Crosby

ER2 Electric Chain Hoist and MR2 Motorised Trolley, the effective – EQ, EQS Electric Chain Hoist and MR2Q Motorised Trolley and the high-performance – RY Electric Wire Rope Hoist.

The standard inverter control for the dual-speed hoist provides soft start and soft stop to minimise impact and reduce shock loading but the customer can also customise the speeds to meet their exact requirements. A low-load high-speed function on the EQ, EQS and RY Hoists allows for faster lifting speeds at low loads to increase productivity. The smooth start and stop and transition from slow to fast protects the load and supporting structure and reduces load swing and bounce.

Morgan explained that the CH Meter was developed to improve the productivity of their products by making it easier for the customers to plan and conduct preventative maintenance, thus reducing the risk of breakdowns.

“So often you see competitors really making their money from replacement parts, if Kito Crosby did that we would not survive, that is just the nature of our hoists, they are high quality with minimal breakdowns,” he said.

“We have always insisted on making high quality prducts that are designed to last and maximise safety.

“This gets back to our core belief that we should make the safest possible products for industry, and I believe Kito Crosby is the best at doing this,” Morgan said.

KITO has invested heavily in designing products which reduce downtime and foresee future problems before they happen.

In some instances, crane service providers have not promoted KITO Crosby Australia’s products, because of their superior durability. Minimal breakdowns and repairs are required for KITO Crosby Australia’s equipment, losing opportunities for providers to make more money off repairs.

“From an end-user point of view, that quality and durability is what they want,” Morgan explained.

“End users should be specifying KITO Crosby Australia because they know their cost of ownership or runtime costs will be much lower compared to others. When you increase productivity and reduce

ongoing repair costs it makes a difference in the long run.

“Lifting is one of the most dangerous things you can do and most people don’t actually give it the attention it deserves,” Morgan added.

“The old adage of a chain is strong as its weakest link applies and KITO Crosby Australia is always very conservative with its engineering, always overengineering something to ensure complete safety.

It’s probably this approach which translates to the company being the pinnacle of quality whilst still having a high market share.”

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manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

43

BUILDING MANAGEMENT

APS leads the way in smart building solutions with Siemens Siemens’ building technology products that include Building Management control hardware and software platforms in addition to field instruments like valves, actuators, sensors, and thermostats—embody quality, aligned with strong business standards. APS Industrial, the only national distributor, can offers this impressive line-up to local industry, providing building management solutions suitable for small to large buildings.

The collaboration process

APS Industrial is the local distribution partner of Siemens building technology products, and together the two companies implement a strategic approach to seamlessly integrate tailored building management solutions for any user.

While the intricate components integral to centralised systems are sourced from Siemens Building Products’ Worldwide headquarters, located

44 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

Images: APS Industrials

B

uilding management encompasses the supervision, control, and optimisation of various systems and elements within a building to ensure its efficient and effective operation and the comfort of the occupants. It involves overseeing and regulating a range of aspects such as HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), lighting, electrical systems, and overall infrastructure.

Effective building management ensures optimised resource usage like heating, cooling, and lighting to reduce waste and environmental impact while cutting operational costs.

It utilises sensors and monitoring systems to gather data on building operations, energy consumption, and environmental conditions. Analysing this data helps in making informed decisions to improve efficiency and performance.

Building management systems employ technologies that allow for integration, scalability, and adaptability to meet the changing needs of the building and its occupants over time.

Effective building management solutions ensures a comfortable environment.

in Zug, Switzerland, product manager of building products at APS Industrial, Johannes Coetzer, explained that Australia’s foundational systems significantly differ from those in Europe.

“Australia’s building management application scenario is very different compared to Europe. Just thinking of the basic systems, European systems are typically more concerned with heating, whereas Australian systems are more concerned with cooling,” Coetzer chuckled.

In addition to Siemens as the manufacturer and APS as the distributor, the two companies have launched a integrator program that allows them to effectively respond to the demands of facility managers and new construction projects seeking building management systems.

“It’s only in the last 18 months that APS has partnered with local building management integrators to help bring these Siemens building technology solution to life. What that means for customers, is that when they come to us with an enquiry, for us it’s much more than simply price and availability,” said Coetzer.

“It’s a collaborative approach that brings together local experts from Siemens, APS, and the customer to design a solution built around the needs of the application. The Siemens building technology

portfolio inevitably enables us to provide a solution that that delivers positive outcomes”.

Building management system projects are often split into electrical/mechanical, and control solutions. The mechanical side pertains to distributing field instruments like valves, actuators, and air sensors.

The building automation side includes control systems and software. For large projects, the principal contract holder will offer separate contracts for the electrical/mechanical fitment, the building management system and the lighting and power control systems.

However, with smaller-scaled projects, building owners often just release a single contract for all the HVAC and electrical systems in the building.

“With smaller projects, it tends to be one combined project. Our systems integrator partners that come to us will purchase the whole package. This includes the controllers, software, valves, sensors, and sometimes even lighting control” explained Coetzer.

“But the larger projects are split up into different contracts.”

“Our arrangement with Siemens is just to look after the small to medium building projects, Siemens themselves have their own division to do large buildings,” said Coetzer.

Building management solutions

Effective building management guarantees a safe, comfortable environment for occupants, all the while maximising energy efficiency.

In the manufacturing sector, workers frequently contend with hazardous conditions. Prolonged exposure to elevated levels of carbon dioxide in workshops can lead to health issues if air quality remains unattended.

“This area of building management involves the process of ensuring that there is enough fresh air from a carbon dioxide point of view,” Coetzer said.

“Controlling that to make sure that your workforce is more productive is certainly an important part of building management,” he explained.

APS Industrials solutions cater to diverse needs, and their solutions are completely scalable and interconnected through a unified physical infrastructure.

Not only are their solutions entirely scalable to meet client demands, but their building management systems can also seamlessly collect data.

“These systems are scalable all the way from a single office to a multi campus, multi building system, all based around the same physical hardware,” said Coetzer.

Regardless of the scale the project, clients can monitor their building environment in real time; all hardware solutions will actively collect data which is entirely accessible to clients.

“Hardware that looks after all kinds of sensors and actuators within one room that ensures that lights are operational, as well as air conditioning, explained Coetzer.

“All data is then collated in centralised control systems. Our clients can access this data on a forum or a display that can show how much energy is being used for heating, cooling, and lighting.”

This allows users to monitor and optimise their energy usage. In building management systems, achieving optimal efficiency involves a strategic blend of centralised oversight and localised control.

Irrespective of the project’s size, potential clients can monitor their building environment in real-time.

APS Industrial systems are scalable to meet diverse demands.

Controlling temperature

Coetzer explained the intricacies of this approach, emphasising that the fusion of centralised systems and localised units is key for effective building management.

This ultimately means that one system can effectively manage the air and light of one building, whilst simultaneously allowing users to control local air and light.

“With a centralised system you will have an air handling unit on the roof, and a unit that uses a boiler and chiller. The boiler gets hot water, the chiller it gets cold water, this air handling unit then uses radiators with the hot water in the cold water running through them in with valves and these actuators,” said Coetzer.

“The system can achieve standardised air flow, at a standardised rate, at a certain set temperature that is

then distributed to all rooms.”

While the air flow can be standardised, APS Industrial’s solutions are equipped to offer the slightest variation in temperature or rate in any room of a multi-story building.

“On a local side in a room or in this apartment, we can have a fan coil unit or a variable air volume control box which then takes that column of at say 30 or 15 degrees,” said Coetzer.

“These hot water pipes and cold-water pipes that come from the chillers and boilers with the valves and automated actuators, can decide the temperature of any specific room. That can all be done automatically by our sensors.”

Improving air quality

APS is also committed to testing new products that are released by Siemens at a global level to ensure they are fit for purpose for local industry. One such example is a new range of indoor air quality sensors.

“We’re currently testing a new range of sensors that measure Carbon Dioxide, volatile organic compounds, temperature and humidity to give an overall Indoor Air Quality score. All of that information then can be shared with localised control system,” he said.

“Using these measurements, the sensor can determine if the air is too poor and send information back to the main control system to take corrective actions and improve the air quality inside.”

“This system would be particularly valuable in establishing controlled airflow in environments with limited access to outside airflow or with high prevalence of systems that influence air quality like welding equipment and the like,” Coetzer explained.

This process is entirely automated using Siemens technology.

manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

45

EVENTS

Exploring AUKUS The Indian Ocean Defence & Security 2024 (IODS 2024) conference in Perth will examine the implications of AUKUS and the Quad on regional diplomacy, industry, and cooperation. Manufacturers’ Monthly reports.

I

n July 2024 the Western Australian capital city of Perth will become the epicentre of debate on how the international relationships driving Australia’s $368 billion nuclear powered submarine purchase may play out in regional diplomacy, cooperation and industry development.

For three days, 24-26 July 2024, the IODS 2024 conference and exhibition at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre will unpack the real-world issues and impacts of the tripartite Australia, United Kingdom and United States AUKUS agreement and the four-nation “Quad” dialogue between Australia, the US, Japan and India.

With the theme “Where AUKUS Meets The Quad”, the event has already confirmed speakers including: Royal Australian Navy Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, AO, RAN; • Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB CBE ADC, United Kingdom First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff; • Dr. Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President of the United States and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the US National Security Council; • Amb. Sujan R. Chinoy, Director General of the

Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) in New Delhi.

AUKUS

AUKUS is best known for the paradigm-changing Pillar 1 program to equip the Royal Australian Navy with nuclear-powered, conventionally-armed submarines. This will be the largest single defence acquisition in Australian history, delivering a platform acknowledged as the most complex moving structure on the planet.

Over the past 18 months, Australia, the UK and US have worked in close partnership to develop the Optimal Pathway for Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.

The plan begins with Australian military and civilian personnel embedding with the Royal Navy and the US Navy, and within UK and US submarine industrial bases, to accelerate the skills development of Australia’s workforce and sailors.

There will be an increased tempo of visits to Australia from UK and US nuclear-powered submarines, with the UK and US having a rotational presence at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia

from 2027, ultimately comprising one UK Astute class submarine and up to four US Virginia class submarines.

The increased presence will enable Australia to grow the required submariner cohort to operate its own Virginia class submarines from the early 2030s, while it also grows the wider workforce within and beyond Defence to work with nuclear-powered submarines.

Now in the design phase with BAE Systems UK, the SSN-AUKUS submarine itself will be a common platform operated by both the UK and Australia, with one production line at Barrow-in-Furness in England and one at Osborne in South Australia.

If all goes to schedule the Royal Navy will see its first SSN-AUKUS in the late 2030s, while the first Australian submarine will be delivered in the early 2040s from Osborne.

Australian submarines will then come off the Osborne production line every three years, with the Royal Australian Navy operating a fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines by the mid-2050s.

Pillar 1 is seen as transformational for Australian industry. But if the AUKUS program delivers as

Image: Defence.

The AUKUS program includes a greater tempo of Australian visits for US and UK submarines, including the US Navy’s Los Angeles-class nuclear powered fast attack submarine USS Asheville, seen here at HMAS Stirling in Rockingham, Western Australia, in 2023.

46 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

Image: Defence.

Australia and the UK will deliver SSN-AUKUS, a new conventionallyarmed nuclear-powered submarine, based on a UK design, incorporating cutting edge Australian, UK and US technologies.

Image: Defence.

promised, the “Advanced Capabilities Pillar 2” will also offer opportunities for a broad range of Australian specialist industry, in fields from undersea capabilities to hypersonics, electronic warfare, AI and cyber.

First announced in September 2021, Pillar 2 began with four areas of technological capability: cyber capabilities (now advanced cyber), artificial intelligence (now artificial intelligence and autonomy), quantum technologies, and additional undersea capabilities. In April 2022, this list expanded to include a further four areas: hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities, electronic warfare, innovation, and information sharing.

Pillar 2 is aimed at sharing technology and increasing interoperability between the armed forces of Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. The three countries say one of the aims of AUKUS is to “foster deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains”.

The Quad

Likewise the Quad, which was born out of international cooperation in response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, is focused on delivering outcomes for the Indo-Pacific across health security, climate change, technologies, disaster relief and counter-terrorism.

While Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade public information emphasises that the Quad is about diplomacy rather than security, statements of intent from the Quad heads meeting in May 2023 also reiterated that “all countries have a role in contributing to regional peace, stability, and prosperity, as well as upholding international law, including the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the rules-based international order”.

As Australia’s gateway to the Indian Ocean region, Western Australia has long acted as the catalyst for engagement on regional issues. Beginning as the Perth USAsia Centre WA Indo-Pacific Conference

The Indian Ocean Defence & Security 2024 conference and exhibition at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre will unpack the real-world issues and impacts of the tripartite Australia, UK and US AUKUS agreement and the four-nation “Quad” dialogue between Australia, the US, Japan and India.

in 2018, the Indian Ocean Defence & Security conference has evolved to become a leading international forum for exploring the challenges and opportunities of Australia’s strategic stance on the Indian Ocean and its partner nations. Previous events have explored the sovereignty of supply chains, protection of natural resources and the role of Western Australia and its defence industry.

The event’s 2024 theme, Where AUKUS Meets The Quad, will explore two of Australia’s premier

international diplomatic partnerships and the challenges and opportunities they present for international engagement and the role of industry in supporting diplomacy, defence and security policy in the region.

Western Australia’s Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation and Defence West have partnered with Indo Pacific 2023 organiser AMDA Foundation Limited to deliver the event.

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47

ENERGY EFFICIENT COMPRESSORS Image: ELGi

ELGi excels with the best-in-class life cycle cost and environmental efficiency, combining an IE5+ motor and efficient air ends to cut electricity bills and lower carbon emissions.

Efficient compression with ELGi’s new range The world is struggling with Global warming and now, more than ever before, energy efficient product is a prime requirement. Over the years, ELGi has focused on improving their specific power consumption (SPC) and provide improved flow (FAD).

K

eeping best in class life cycle cost (including power) in mind, ELGi has developed their new air-cooled, direct drive series with Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM).

Fixed speed machines’ performance is measured at 100 per cent load, no matter what the customer demand is.

The LOT 31 Study (Europe) / DoE (USA) measures a variable speed compressor not only at a 100 per cent load but at three load points (100 per cent, 70 per cent, and 40 per cent) that represent the typical load distribution in a compressor’s life. Focusing on efficiency across the flow spectrum, ELGi has developed PMSM machine, with reduction in LOT31 SPC by up to 15 per cent and improved FAD by up to 16 per cent.

ELGi has designed their own robust, IP55 rated motor by leveraging induction motors’ capacity.

48 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

ELGi’s motor and air-ends are built super solidly and that’ the reason they are offering best in class warranty. But in the unlikely event, if they need servicing, you can get Airend & motor service separately. Which isn’t possible with most permanent magnet machines available in the market.

Why IE5’+’? For motors only IE5 regulation is available, and ELGi is exceeding the regulation by far. That’s why ELGi claims its motor efficiency is best in class.

Why PMSM? Induction motors efficiency can’t be more than IE4. So, something better in technology was required. Thus, ELGi has chosen synchronous technology.

There are many options, but PMSM was chosen as it has the lowest losses among all. The technology is very precise, it receives input and gives feedback

as well. Which gives us the opportunity to provide best in class efficient compressor. VFD can run at lower turndown as well. And the drop in the efficiency from 100 per cent load to lower load is least compared to all other technologies.

ELGi has used direct drive, optimised air ends, and made them energy efficient air ends.

The compressor is fitted with intelligent thermal valve system (ITV) for effective thermal management, which works intelligently with inputs from ambient and lube temperature sensor through Neuron IV controller and gives variable output. ITV reacts instantly to temperature change and reduces thermal stress on the oil. By optimising the oil temperature and reducing the load on the airend, energy savings are enabled.

Along with all of these features, ELGi has the advantage of being optimally priced, and to give

Image: ELGi

peace of mind to customers, it is also providing a superior warranty.

The ELGi advantage

• Best in class Life cycle cost.

• Environmentally efficient – Best in class efficiency achieved through packaging an IE5+ permanent magnet synchronous motor with efficient air ends not only reduces electricity bills, but also reduces the carbon emissions.

• Experience savings of up to 45 per cent over a fixed speed machine. Savings can be experienced even at 100 per cent load when compared with a fixed speed machine. Up to 18 per cent additional savings over a traditional variable speed machine.

• Reliability – In house designed and built motor and proven drive in the most rugged package design to work at 50 degrees °C. A machine built to last the ages and that’s why offered with bestin-class warranty.

• Intelligent – With the N4 and the intelligent thermal valve system, the machine works by understanding both, the environmental conditions and the machine conditions, thereby ensuring efficiency and increasing the longevity of the cooling system.

• Serviceability – Accessible design with all components that are reachable, and the machine design focuses on easy serviceability and repair over replacement.

ELGi’s robustly constructed motor and air-ends are the key factors behind their industry-leading warranty offering.

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manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

49

BUSINESS GROWTH

Rocking industry growth BlueRock has quickly become a powerhouse supporting founders, entrepreneurs and families to grow their business and personal wealth since it was founded by Peter Lalor who rounded up a crew of eight accountants to set about doing things differently.

Image: BlueRock

An emphasis on diverse perspectives has been key to BlueRock’s early growth.

B

lueRock has the vision that if you ‘do things you love with people you care about, good things happen’.

The company` is now a purpose-led, values-driven, holistic professional services business that supports businesses and individuals across all of their needs, CEO Vince Giovanniello explained the company further to Manufacturer’s Monthly.

BlueRock’s winning culture grows directly out of the ethic established by its founder Peter Lalor, according to BlueRock CEO Vince Giovanniello.

“When Peter began to work with clients, he realised that to provide the best accounting advice, he had to incorporate a diversity of perspectives – including those of lawyers and finance brokers, among others,” Giovanniello said.

This emphasis on diversity of perspective governed Bluerock’s early growth. “Being a small business owner himself, Peter was aware that real-world challenges often cut across various domains of expertise – and so set up a firm that could take a

50 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving.”

Instilling this business-owner mindset among the BlueRock workforce is an ongoing endeavour – and a key point of difference to competitors in the field – with BlueRock team members encouraged to pursue ‘side hustle’ projects to give them a better grasp of the realities of business ownership, to put themselves in the shoes of their clients.

Technology in manufacturing

Giovanniello explained that technology in manufacturing is on a curve: some are early adopters and others are more reluctant to bring technology into their processes.

“Some of these manufacturers start as a small family business where they have learned an art form and therefore are reluctant to add new processes, whereas others really embrace it,” Giovanniello said.

“Once we are on board, we have full visibility so it is simple for us to identify areas of growth, and often that can be through technology.

“When a business has a vision for growth, technology is a lever they can pull to deliver the outcomes,” he noted. “We then explore across our key divisions how we can best support them to bring in relevant technology.”

Giovanniello explained that – as is the case for most start-ups and manufacturers – high costs are a restrictor when it comes to upgrading technology.

“It can be a chicken-and-egg situation where they know they need to get more sales to invest in technology, but they will get more sales by investing in technology,” he explained.

“We can look at data to find areas that they will save money.

“For example, a company might have high WorkCover premiums due to high manual handling.

By introducing technology that lowers that it could dramatically reduce the costs of insurance whilst also improving output,” Giovanniello said.

Giovanniello explained that technology improvements can actually extend every KPI within

the business as a manufacturer will have better repeatability.

By implementing certain technology, it will also improve a company’s environmental impact according to the BlueRock CEO. When implementing strong technological systems, it will lower energy and material costs, which has become so critically important for businesses, particularly when looking to source investment or secure funding.

Grants and funding

Millicent Brearley, associate director in the grants and incentives team at BlueRock delved into the often confusing and diverse world of grants and funding.

“I think manufacturing is a real keen interest area for the federal government right now so that is obviously an area with a lot of possibility,” she explained.

“On a Federal and State level there are new opportunities frequently being announced. Each opportunity usually targets specific industries and types of project activities so we will delve into what is on offer.”

Many governments are targeting sustainability and it can feel sometimes other manufacturers are left behind. But Brearley said this is simply not true.

“Governments have a range of areas they want to improve and that can be anything from job creation and innovation to regional development or a list of key priority industries identified by the National

Reconstruction Fund,” she said.

“As a grant consultant, I will look at what a company wants to do, and what the broader economic impacts could be to Australia.

“You do not have to be in green manufacturing just to secure funding, but you do need to understand what the government is looking for – and that is where we come in,” Brearley said.

She went on to explain in greater detail the role of a grant consultant and how her team at BlueRock supports manufacturers.

“We act as a middleman between our clients and the government agencies that provide funding,” she said.

“Often you find manufacturers do not want to give up equity, and bank loans are tough with interest rates so high. So, that is why they turn to us as we know all the different avenues to look into for nondilutive funding opportunities.

“We know what programs are currently available or are soon to be available and can help ascertain whether what the manufacturer wants to do aligns with these opportunities.” Brearley said.

The grant consulting team takes the time to write the grants for clients. This ranges from the ability to write applications in a way to showcase how a project meets the key assessment criteria of the grant application through to understanding a company deeply to accurately convey what they are doing.

“If a grant is not an exact match to a company, we can advise on likely competitiveness or ways in

which a project would better align with the objectives of a grant program,” Brearley said. “We can guide them through this analysis process to find real and achievable changes they can make to given them the best chance at securing a grant.

“Once the grant is secured, our job does not simply end – we stay on for the duration for the project.

“Usually, a manufacturer will have key milestone reports that are required, or might need to request a variation if they change their end goal or the process of getting there, and we can provide advice and assistance with these reporting requirements,” she said.

Brearley said her job is always enjoyable, as manufacturers relish working with the grants and incentives team and are often extremely receptive to any suggestions made by them.

“The grant space is constantly evolving and changing. So, even when something may not be available right now, we can keep them in mind and when something meets their needs we can go after it.

“We do not always have a lot of warning of new funding being announced, but we have a range of other continuous incentives we can turn to like the R&D tax incentives amongst others,” she said.

“We work closely with companies over a prolonged period so we can always look for opportunities for organisations in a range of areas.”

To keep abreast of diverse opportunities, you need a diversity of perspectives. And that’s what BlueRock brings.

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manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

51

APPEX 2024 Image: APPEX

APPEX set to hit Melbourne in March Australia’s largest Processing and Packaging Expo promises to be one of the industry’s most important events for 2024. Manufacturers’ Monthly took the time to speak with APPEX’s event director Jon Perry to understand what the event has in store from the 12th to the 15th of March.

A

ustralian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) has run AUSPACK since 1985 and has revolutionised the event for 2024 – not just by changing the name to APPEX but by overhauling what the event has in store for those in attendance.

“The transition from AUSPACK to APPEX was more than a name change. It was a strategic step

by APPMA to bring all the parts of the processing and packaging industry together and foster collaboration,” Perry said.

During COVID the APPMA board undertook an industry consultation process to address

52 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

perceptions that APPMA, and AUSPACK, only represented the packaging sector and to understand what changes were required to address this.

Out of this came the momentum to transition AUSPACK into APPEX, an all of industry event that would truly represent processing and packaging machinery as well as ancillary equipment, materials, and packaging.

APPEX will be 50 per cent larger than AUSPACK making it the largest expo for processing and packaging ever held in Australia.

APPMA was established in 1983 with the

objective to promote, integrate and foster participation and development at all levels of the packaging and processing machinery industry in Australia.

The APPMA members include over 140 companies that supply and service machinery across a number of industries including food, beverage, dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, confectionery, bakery, and fresh produce.

About APPEX 2024

The theme for APPEX is sustainability, efficiency, and automation and these are the key themes

Image: APPEX

NEW full feature oil injected screw compressors 4-22kW

NEW generation series-4 screw compressors up to 160kW APPEX 2024 promises to be the complete event for manufacturers.

that Australian manufacturers are grappling with currently as they strive to move their businesses forward.

Sustainability at APPEX is about adopting more sustainable packaging and material options in the manufacturing process. It’s also about improving energy efficiency through new technologies and machinery in packaging and processing.

Efficiency at APPEX is about maximising processing and packaging machine performance, and product inventory, across the manufacturing process.

“APPEX will be the largest ever showcase of equipment, technology and innovation in machinery, ancillary equipment, automation, materials and packaging, logistics, robotics, food processing and industry services,” Perry said.

“For manufacturers looking to boost their production lines through new machinery, automation and technology, APPEX promises to be the place to be.”

APPEX will be the largest business to business trade show for processing and packaging ever to be held in Australia with the widest range of working machinery on the floor. It is a showcase of the total processing and packaging sector with a focus on the latest technology and best practice.

It is an unprecedented opportunity for knowledge exchange delivered by industry, for industry.

Exhibitors will showcase the latest equipment, technology and innovation in machinery, ancillary equipment, automation, materials and packaging, logistics, robotics, food processing and industry services.

APPEX 2024 is set to take over all 20 bays of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and will be divided into zones to help attendees find products and services of interest to them.

Who should attend APPEX?

“The event is relevant for any business that has a requirement to pack and wrap products including businesses from pharmaceutical, cosmetics and beauty, non-food and household goods, ecommerce businesses, retailers and logistics & warehousing businesses,” Perry said.

“APPEX is also about engineering solutions in the processing of not just food and drink products but also pharmaceutical, chemical, dairy, cosmetics and beauty.”

Oil free scroll compressors Medical, instrument, dental

What to expect at APPEX?

The event will offer new networking areas including food and beverage hubs and APPEX restaurants, designed to allow visitors and exhibitors to connect, network and to enjoy their day at the event.

APPEX 2024 will feature a series of educational initiatives and opportunities including Meat Meat Industry Day is an initiative led by the Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC) partnering with the Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA). There will also be food and beverage-focussed sessions as part of the Food Industry Solution Series and presentations from Robotics Australia exploring the role and future of robotics in processing and packaging.

APPEX 2024 will also include the Awards of Excellence, a gala dinner, hosted by APPMA, on Wednesday, March 13. The APPMA Awards of Excellence is the national awards program for the Australian packaging and processing industry, recognising excellence, innovation, leadership and best practice and the gala dinner is expected to host more than 700 industry guests making it the biggest night in processing & packaging in Australia.

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NEW refrigerant compressed air dryer with sustainable, efficient and smart operation From 15-6,000 cfm

For sales and service support contact your nearest BOGE partner www.boge.net.au or (03) 5940 5913

manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly 53

OIL FREE COMPRESSOR

New SO-3 screw compressor from BOGE With a focus on energy efficiency, BOGE has expanded its portfolio with the new SO-3 oil-free screw compressor that achieves peak delivery rate values at a lower specific power consumption.

H

eadquartered in the German city of Bielefeld, BOGE is a family-run firm that combines the principle of dynamic growth with the customer-oriented values of a medium-sized company.

Its goal for the future is to continue employing sustainable, long-term strategies and acting as an always-accessible point of contact for its customers.

BOGE Australia import and distribute BOGE high-quality German machines, spare parts and all ancillary equipment through a comprehensive network of fully-trained sales and service partners throughout Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

The SO-3 compressor stood out in the total cost of ownership evaluation; the compressor stood out for its low total costs over its entire life cycle. Further advantages include the large control range, quiet and maintenance-free operation, and the option to recover heat from hot water temperatures of up to 90°C. With the introduction of the SO-3 oil-free screw compressor, BOGE has considerably improved the energy efficiency of its SO series and is now deemed to be one of the best in class.

The specific power consumption has been increased by 8 per cent. This increase is based on an

intelligent concept. The newly developed airend of the compressor impresses with its very low speeds and subsequently low compressor temperatures, as well as its extremely wear-resistant design.

The integrated IE4 drive motor also contributes to its efficient and cost-effective operation. The efficiency is further increased by the cooling system that has low compression and output temperatures.

Even though the screw compressor is very compact, the components are still easily accessible for maintenance purposes. Specific sound insulation measures have been implemented to effectively reduce noise levels.

Image: BOGE

The BOGE oil-free compressor is well suited to the Australian market.

54 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

Image: BOGE

The compressor is available with frequency control and heat recovery, as required. BOGE thus offers maximum flexibility and additional options to increase efficiency. The heat recovery enables up to 94 percent of the applied energy to be used to heat the service water and for the heating system.

The screw compressor heats the service water up to 90°C.

Optimum adjustment to existing requirements

The SO-3 is also equipped with the optional service tool BOGE connect thus offering a comprehensive compressed air management system Lutz Knoke Product Manager at BOGE explained further. “All of the operating parameters are continuously recorded, visualised and analysed in our portal,” he said.

“Potential optimisations can thus be identified and maintenance measures implemented proactively.”

With options to connect adsorptions dryers and other accessories, the new SO-3 screw compressor from BOGE is a customised solution for a variety of applications.

The screw compressor is designed for applications that require large quantities of high-quality, oil-free compressed air. This ensures the compressor can be used in a variety of applications in different sectors, including the pharmaceutical, food and drinks industry right through to the textile industry, mechanical engineering applications and by industrial coating companies.

The SO-3 is one of the most efficient on the market.

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ENGINEERING FOCUS Image: Michele Ursi / Adobe Stock

A Stryker combat military vehicle equipped with an anti-drone laser system.

Surpassing the state of the art Scientists from three universities have demonstrated a new way to increase the power of fibre laser technology, while maintaining beam quality, making the lasers a future key defence technology against low-cost drones and for use in other applications such as welding and remote sensing. Manufacturers’ Monthly spoke with the scientists to learn more.

A

merican and Australian researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA), the University of Adelaide (UoA) and Yale University have been collaborating their research to unlock the potential of contemporary fibre lasers.

Fibre lasers use an optical fibre cable made of silica glass to guide light. The resulting laser beam is more precise than with other types of lasers because it is inherently less ‘lumpy’ allowing it to propagate straighter and remain focused. Throughout their research, the team of scientists have demonstrated that the use of multimode optical fibre can be used to scale up the power of fibre lasers by three-to-nine times without deteriorating the beam quality ¬so that it can focus on distant targets.

These findings were recently published and UoA research associate and PhD recipient, Dr Ori

56 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

Henderson-Sapir, said that he wants to see his contribution positively impact society.

“Our research launches Australia into a worldleading position to develop the next generation of high-power fibre lasers, not only for defence applications, but to aid new scientific discoveries,” he said.

The breakthrough is a product of both innovation and collaboration, as the project was a multi-national effort between Australia and US. Co-first author, Dr Linh Nguyen, a researcher at UniSA’s Future Industries Institute said, “It is a very closely collaborative project. Both the Australian and American universities received funding from the US Airforce Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) to jointly pursue this project.”

“Many of us have had technically intense meetings

every week to discuss the results and progress over the entire years of the project. My colleague Dr. Stephen Warren-Smith and I will visit Yale early next year to continue the relationship,” Nguyen continued.

The project has progressed far since it first began, but Nguyen emphasised that there is still work left to be done.

“It took us roughly two and a half years to demonstrate the proof-of-concept. But this research, and its relevant work, is still ongoing,” he explained.

High-power lasers in defence

For some time, defence forces around the world have been pursuing the use of laser technology for defence applications.

“The defence industry has always pursued the use of lasers for decades. But only until recently only had

are following the use of single-mode high power fibre lasers,” said Nguyen.

“To get over the power limit, they combine many of such lasers together using a so-called ‘spectral beam combining’.”

This method involves combining lasers of different wavelengths to produce a powerful beam, but this upscaling method is inherently limited.

“The more contaminated the laser colour, the smaller number of them can be combined,” Nguyen explained.

Currently, the US Navy has deployed the AN/SEQ-3

Laser Weapon System or XN-1 LaWS. The laser utilises a solid-state laser array and is primarily used for targeting asymmetric threats like drones.

Henderson-Sapir believes that their breakthrough could be used to create even more effective systems in the future.

“It could be used for shooting down drones, rockets, or even mortars,” he said.

While systems haven’t been developed yet using their new design, the team is confident that it won’t be long before militaries around the world

Image: dizfoto1973 / Adobe Stock

real success thanks to using single-mode high power fibre lasers which provide high power and good beam quality,” said Nguyen.

To effectively utilise lasers as a countermeasure, the laser must be powerful without any beam quality deterioration.

“The beam quality is an important factor in defence applications. To shoot down or dazzle the control of something far away, the laser beam needs to be well confined during propagation through the atmosphere, so that the intensity is maintained,” explained Nguyen.

“If you have a laser that is powerful, but that power was spread out over a very large area as it propagates to the target, then it cannot damage the target but instead will coat it like a warm blanket.”

There are several advantages to using lasers as countermeasures.

A laser beam does not require any tracking – unlike conventional ballistics weapons – as the beam can travel at the speed of light.

Lasers also produce no sound, and they are mostly invisible to the naked eye. Without detection equipment, they remain silent and deadly.

Finally, lasers are cheap to use. They don’t require ammunition, but only power instead.

Currently, militaries are utilising lasers as a cheap countermeasure to drones.

“High-power fibre lasers are vital in manufacturing and defence, and becoming more so with the proliferation of cheap, unmanned aerial vehicles in modern battlefields,” Nguyen explained.

“A swarm of cheap drones can quickly drain the missile resource, leaving military assets and vehicles with depleted firing power for more combat-critical missions. High-power fibre lasers, with their extremely low-cost-per-shot and speed of light action, are the only feasible defence solution in the long run.

“This is known as asymmetric advantage: a cheaper approach can defeat a more expensive, high-tech system by playing the large number,” Nguyen said.

Most countries using laser technology as a countermeasure are using single-mode lasers, which come with their own limitations.

“Many countries are pursuing research and development in laser weapons and most, if not all,

Laser welding allows precise and accurate joins between materials, often without the need for additional filler material.

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ENGINEERING FOCUS are utilising scaled-up multimode fibre laser technology.

“Fibre lasers have already been extensively fieldtested and ship-deployed for defence applications, particularly in the US,” said Nguyen.

“Our technology is more at the fundamental level that will enable the next generation of high-power fibre lasers, with unpreceded level of power. Such power level could open new possibilities in defence strategy that is currently unavailable.”

“Personally, I think we are about three to five years away from achieving record power level from high power fibre lasers using this technique, and likely a few more years of engineering work to make it feasible for actual deployment on ships, large military vehicles or airplanes.”

The science

The word ‘laser’ is an acronym for ‘light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation’.

In laymen’s terms, a laser is a device that

triggers atoms or molecules to emit light of specific wavelengths, which is then enhanced or amplified.

Depending on the colour, light will have a wavelength of varying peaks. In the visible spectrum, violet, for example, has the shortest wavelength peak, whereas red has the longest.

Lasers, however, are not alike to naturally occurring light, as laser wavelengths are aligned with similar wavelength peaks, since they rarely occur naturally; scientists must make lasers themselves.

“Lasers are built with three major elements.

One is the energising source, second is the gain medium, and third is the resonator,” said Henderson-Sapir.

For example, a gain medium could be a crystal rod, doped glass, semi-conductor device or a gasfilled tube.

“By building a resonator around the gain medium, it can cause the material which was excited to emit photons,” said Henderson-Sapir.

Photons are light particles that make up the focused laser beam.

“Because of the resonator, there is a preference for those photons to be amplified in the direction of the mirrors, and eventually emitted through a partially transmissive mirror” Henderson-Sapir continued to explain.

What sets fibre lasers apart from a more basic sold-state laser is the optical fibre and the use of laser diodes to energise the fibre laser.

Laser diodes are semiconductor devices that can emit a beam of high intensity light.

The optical fibre is a small, but flexible glass, which is used as the gain medium.

Unlike solid-state lasers, fibre lasers utilise optical fibres doped with rare-earth elements such as erbium or ytterbium.

When using a laser diode and optical fibre in laser manufacturing, the beam itself becomes less sensitive to environmental effects.

“The tiny piece of glass, which is very robust, Image: Ori Henderson-Sapir

Pictured below, the fiber laser is in its alignment phase, ensuring precise calibration and accuracy.

58 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

can be bent or pointed wherever where you want,” Henderson-Sapir said.

But a major engineering challenge when creating powerful fibre lasers, specifically for defence and manufacturing applications, is generating a focused and powerful beam without deterioration.

“Our colleagues at Yale University have been working on a different wavelength and method of laser. We’re working on pulsed lasers at 1.51 microns and Yale is working on continuous beams at 1.0,” said Henderson-Sapir.

“We already have results, and we’re going to conferences about implementing the same method in a system where we are amplifying the signal.”

“We’re currently at the state of the art and Yale University has surpassed the state of the art,” Henderson-Sapir explained.

Manufacturing applications

Henderson-Sapir expects that this technology will be used in the manufacturing sector long before it is used in defence.

“I think that manufacturing applications are going to come online faster than defence, in my opinion on this particular laser design, because it is much more amenable for really solving problems that the manufacturing industry has,” he said.

“To get a system that’s robust in the field that can also handle being used on a tank in a battlefield is a totally different kettle of fish compared to sitting in a locked cabinet on a relatively clean production

floor,” Henderson-Sapir explained.

Henderson-Sapir elaborated that scaled-up lasers could be used in metal works, particularly in cutting steel and welding. A high-powered laser can be used to cut very thick materials, and at a distance.

This ultimately ensures that the laser machine will remain effective and undamaged overtime.

“Nowadays, when you want to weld large chunks of metal, it becomes difficult and the only way to do it is to use high power lasers or acetylene torches,” Henderson-Sapir said.

“But potentially this will allow you to go to thicker materials or weld dissimilar materials better because, for example, welding dissimilar materials is a serious problem and difficult to do.

“Laser welding is a good way of doing it, but sometimes you need more power than what is available.”

High-powered fibre laser technology will also have immediate applications in monitoring wind patterns.

Monitoring wind patterns with lasers can be beneficial for maintaining and optimising wind farms.

“Wind has, because it’s moving air, an effect on the return wavelength of the laser,” said Henderson-Sapir.

“By comparing the colour of the laser that we sent, to the return echo of the wind, you can tell the speed of the wind, and by counting the time it took for the return to come back, you can observe differences.”

Subsequently, engineers and scientists could determine the speed of a wind field before it reaches a wind turbine.

In-turn, wind turbine blades can be adjusted to ensure that it is rotating in the best direction.

Remote sensing applications

The blades can also be angled to catch the most

Infrared fibre lasers have potential to be useful in remote sensing and medical applications.

Remote sensing in lasers refers to laser technology that can collect information from a distance about an object, environment, or surface.

“We’re talking about applications which are related to greenhouse sensing, being able to monitor and quantify their levels, being able to monitor and quantify, for example, how much methane is being emitted by feedlots,” said Henderson-Sapir.

optimal amount of wind.

“All of these things can be done to get the maximum power out of expected wind patterns,” Henderson-Sapir explained.

While the possibility of technological innovation is exciting, the full potential of these multimode fibre lasers will not be apparent until later in the future.

The team will soon be reporting their findings at the 2024 CLEO Conference and Exhibition later this year.

If you want to

be a part of something that will enhance your business opportunity I’d certainly recommend SEMMA. Simon Whiteley | Managing Director Corex Plastics Australia, Dandenong South VIC Member since 2003

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manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

59

WHAT’S NEW

METALMASTER ClearAir mobile welding fume bench fire risk associated with welding processes, ensuring utmost peace of mind for operators.

The filtered clean air discharged from the unit returns in an upwards direction from the rear of the unit this avoids disturbing the workshop dust that may have settled on the workshop floor as well as enhances operator comfort with no return air blowing at their feet.

The HEPA H13 Class filter stands as a pinnacle of air purification technology, characterised by its exceptional ability to capture even the tiniest particles with remarkable efficiency.

Designed to adhere to stringent standards such as EN ISO 15012 W3, the HEPA H13 filter ensures that the air passing through it is not only clean but also safe for respiration.

With a particle separation efficiency of 99.95% for particles as minuscule as 0.3um particles.

The ClearAir B-H13 is the ultimate solution for Mig, Tig, and Arc welding, catering to all materials that emit intense fumes and minor dust during the welding process. Its compact design, coupled with its powerful extraction capabilities, makes it an indispensable asset in any welding environment.

Image: Hare and Forbes Machinery House

The ClearAir mobile welding fume bench, a cutting-edge compact unit designed to revolutionise the way welding fumes are extracted and filtered.

This all-in-one downdraft extraction and filtering unit marks a significant leap forward in ensuring the health and safety of both welders and the surrounding environment.

At the heart of the ClearAir B-H13 lies a meticulously engineered 1120 x 825mm worktable. Employing state-of-the-art S Duct aerodynamic technology, this design is a breakthrough in minimising the impact of turbulent air generated by varying workpieces.

A high-volume airflow of 2000 m3/h, creating an abundant down draft tailored to suit diverse welding fume applications.

The ClearAir B-H13 comes equipped with a hinged fume table shroud doors as standard, giving it the versatility to accommodate longer workpieces with ease.

Safety is paramount, which is why the ClearAir B-H13 integrates spark separators and dual first-stage metal pre-filters. These advanced features significantly reduce the

Company: Hare and Forbes Machinery House Phone: (02) 9890 9111 Website: www.machineryhouse.com.au/ extractors-fume

Nord’s solutions for mechanical engineering

Company: Nord Drivesystems Phone: 9394 0500 Website: www.nordfab.com

60 Manufacturer’s Monthly February 2024

Image: Nord Drivesystems

Nord Drivesystems presented its large range of innovative drives for mechanical engineering at FMB 2023, from the 8th to 10th November 2023 in the exhibition centre in Bad Salzuflen.

The presentation focused on the IE5+ synchronous motors and the decentralised NORDAC ON+ frequency inverters.

Rising electricity prices, the CO2 footprint as well as the digital transformation require the use of highly efficient and powerful drives. The IE5+ synchronous motors and the decentralised NORDAC ON+ frequency inverters from Nord Drivesystems are the ideal solution for these requirements.

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How investment in materials science and engineering will shape the future

Image: CSIRO Manufacturing

I

n a world where technology continually reshapes our lives, the unsung heroes of innovation are often the materials that make up the things we use every day. From the cars we drive to the phones in our hands, our experience of the world is fundamentally affected by the materials we have created.

Materials throughout history

The fields of materials science and engineering have always stood at the forefront of innovation, with the development of new materials consistently being a catalyst for technological and societal shifts.

From ancient civilisations that harnessed the power of metals, we progressed to innovations like the steam engine, which had a profound impact and ushered in the Industrial Revolution.

The 20th century saw a historic shift with the advent of synthetic polymers and plastics. These revolutionised the world due to their remarkable versatility and affordability. However, they also gave rise to environmental concerns, prompting a recent

62 Manufacturers’ Monthly February 2024

CSIRO scientists are working to develop new materials to solve longstanding environmental issues.

move towards sustainable and biodegradable materials.

Case study: Redefining sustainability

Every year, Australians uses one million tonnes of single-use plastics like food packaging. Only thirteen per cent is recycled, with massive economic, social, environmental and health impacts.

What if we could find alternative plastic materials that degrade quickly, and leave no lasting environmental footprint?

Here at CSIRO, we are working with industry and academia to find bioplastics that can degrade into carbon dioxide and water. We are investigating plant-based plastic composites and materials that could produce compostable plastics. We are also undertaking research to improve technology for producing bioplastics from renewable resources.

The future of materials science

Today, the combination of state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques and ongoing advances in

materials science is a potent innovation accelerator.

One notable area of development over the past decade has been additive manufacturing, or 3D printing. This has opened new realms of possibility in design and engineering through the creation of lighter, stronger and more efficient components. As 3D printing technologies advance, we will continue to see even more intricate and complex designs.

Another exciting development in this area is the ability to combine multiple materials in a single print run, creating complex, functional products with diverse properties.

Robotics and automation have also emerged as profound agents of change. These technologies enhance precision and efficiency in material fabrication, allowing for more complex and accurate production processes. They also enable highthroughput experimentation, allowing researchers to conduct numerous tests and experiments simultaneously, with the potential for real-time feedback.

Similarly, digital twins – or virtual replicas of physical objects or systems – can simulate and

Case study: Preparing for space flight

Among approximately 2,600 active satellites in orbit, an increasing number are CubeSats – small satellites ranging in size from that of a Rubik’s cube to a small suitcase.

While reducing the cost of space exploration, CubeSats face challenges in orbit. One big risk is thermal cycling, which is the shift between extreme cold and heat as orbiting spacecrafts move in and out of sunlight and shadow. This can place CubeSats under great stress, threatening their structural integrity and potentially damaging sensitive optics.

In collaboration with DMTC, UNSW Canberra Space, La Trobe University and AW Bell, CSIRO investigated optimal materials for the satellite components that can withstand thermal cycling.

We settled on a titanium/invar hybrid which combines the strength and lightness of titanium with invar’s thermal stability.

Once we decided on a material, the team at CSIRO’s Centre for Additive Innovation, Lab22, used a combination of 3D printing and cold spray to quickly produce the parts.

Australia’s competitive edge – R&D

Australia’s competitive advantage in this transformative landscape will be closely tied to our strategic use of science and technology.

We must continue to foster a strong, collaborate manufacturing ecosystem, underpinned by robust R&D investment at all levels from individual company efforts to national initiatives. This will be essential to driving a sustainable and thriving value chain and enhancing Australia’s position in a

CSIRO used cold spray laser deposition, along with 3D printing, to produce a novel material that can protect CubeSats from temperature extremes in space.

Image: CSIRO Manufacturing

analyse materials under various conditions. This seamless blend of digital and physical realms significantly accelerates material development and testing, leading to faster innovation cycles.

And of course, there’s artificial intelligence, or AI, which looks set to revolutionise nearly every aspect of our lives. In materials science, AI’s capacity to analyse extensive datasets will allow us to predict the properties and behaviours of new materials. This will drive the rapid discovery and development of potentially world-changing materials.

Collectively, these breakthroughs will profoundly impact a wide range of sectors. In healthcare, new biomaterials will enable us to make more effective medical devices and drug delivery systems. The aerospace and automotive industries will benefit from lighter, stronger materials, improving fuel efficiency and safety.

In electronics, advanced materials will allow for smaller, more powerful devices. And the energy sector can anticipate better renewable energy technologies, including more efficient solar panels and batteries.

competitive global market.

In this endeavour, organisations such as CSIRO and various universities will play pivotal roles, propelling progress and strengthening the nation’s manufacturing sector.

Australia boasts a strong legacy in this domain, with several of our universities consistently ranked within the top 100 internationally in the field of materials science. Globally, CSIRO’s work is held in high regard. It is frequently cited by other scientists, placing us ninth in a global comparison alongside 56 similar organisations. This high level of citation places us in the top quarter of these organisations in terms of research impact and recognition.

To foster breakthrough innovations, it’s also essential to merge various scientific and engineering fields through collaborative efforts, creating a multidisciplinary approach.

This will propel Australia’s manufacturing sector forward and generating new industries and employment opportunities.

However, the challenge often lies in translating innovations into successful products, as many promising Australian inventions encounter significant obstacles when making the leap from the R&D stage to commercial viability. This transitional difficulty is commonly referred to as the ‘valley of death.’

CSIRO is dedicated to helping overcome these challenges by supporting industry to develop scalable, economically viable and sustainable manufacturing processes, offering a range of facilities for pilot scaling, upscaling, and prototyping to support material development and manufacturing.

Case study: Supporting the pioneering of lithium-ion battery materials

Lithium-ion batteries have become the lifeblood of our modern world, powering everything from smartphones to electric vehicles.

As demand surges globally, a special opportunity emerges for Australia to establish a complete battery value chain – especially given our abundant reserves of critical minerals that comprise batteries.

This could span from mining battery minerals to processing and manufacturing battery active materials, and ultimately, cell manufacture.

CSIRO, leveraging its decades of expertise, is playing an important role in supporting the development of this value chain. We provide innovative and technical solutions to companies venturing into this sector.

In one project, we partnered with Queensland nanotechnology company, VSPC, and the University of Queensland to design, manufacture, and test nextgeneration fast-charge batteries for trams and other transport using VSPC’s advanced cathode materials.

Building on these efforts, we collaborated on another battery materials project with VSPC’s parent company, Lithium Australia Limited. The company wanted to assess use of its high-quality Lithium Iron (Ferro) Phosphate and Lithium Iron (Ferro) Manganese Phosphate cathode materials – known in the automotive industry for their high safety standards in rapid charging applications.

This collaboration between Australian research institutions and industry players underscores the dynamic and evolving sector of lithium-ion batteries, showcasing Australia’s potential to become a leader in this critical field.

manmonthly.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly

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WHERE AUKUS MEETS THE QUAD

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