Australia’s First Robotics Hub to Drive Manufacturing
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futuremap®—a business diagnostic tool designed to help Australian manufacturing SMEs assess their current state of business and identify areas of focus and potential investment to transform and future-proof their business. futuremap® enables manufacturers to map their maturity levels and capabilities in the areas of market positioning; leadership, strategy and change management; innovation and use of technology; and digital manufacturing (Industry 4.0). It then produces a point-in-time self-assessment and report that identifies both immediate and medium-term opportunities for growth and potential investment. According to Stewart, the IMCRC is a very important collaborator for the Hub. “Access to futuremap® will allow us to meaningfully engage with businesses who are at the beginning of their Industry 4.0 journey, and pinpoint specific areas for improvement. The IMCRC also helps us connect to a comprehensive, national network of manufacturers and research institutions. The ARM Hub Impact For Australian manufacturers looking to integrate robotics and automation into their business, understanding where to start can be quite daunting. The Hub could be a great place to start, particularly given its unique position within the market. “While there are quite a few hubs that cross over between advanced manufacturing, robotics, and research, we collaborate within, and across, that entire network. We are an independent company, dedicated to solving the needs of industry. We’re not a research institution, and not another company or competitor, which is quite rare,” said Stewart. “We also have our own workshop facility, so people can see and trial the technology first-hand. For some companies, where downtime is
Image: Australian Centre for Robotics Vision at QUT Real World Futures Event. Image Courtesy of Australian Centre for Robotics Vision and QUT.
not an option, having a space to trial and test is quite important. The facility is also an important space for start-up companies looking to scale-up their business: with us they can access industrial workspace and facilities with ready access to robotics and design experts as well as other likeminded problem-solvers.” “We have significant expertise in robotics and can provide unbiased advice. Our mandate is to help manufacturers, not to sell them anything. We also have extensive design capabilities, from industrial, process and digital, through to workflow, engineering and architectural design. You simply cannot capitalise on the benefits robotics that can deliver unless the design is correct,” said Stewart. Transforming the Welding Industry The ARM Hub is already engaging with the welding industry, according to Stewart. “There has been quite a lot of demand across the state, and interstate, for safer, automated welding processes, particularly for welding in confined spaces. Whether welders are working in the defence, or mining, or other sectors, this challenge is ever present.” As such, the Hub is working with Weld Australia on a proposal to government to solve some of these
challenges. “We recognise the urgency for improved safety and efficiency in the welding industry,” said Stewart. A Bright Future Professor Green believes the future is bright for the Australian manufacturing industry, provided the right support is made available to its SMEs. “Australia does have a manufacturing future. We cannot write manufacturing off because some of the more traditional segments have become uncompetitive in global markets. Instead, we must determine in which markets and value chains we can be competitive. Australian manufacturers must compete not just on cost but on quality, design excellence and innovation.” “We understand that a lot of manufacturers are anxious about the future and how to prepare for it. Projects in other countries—such as Germany, Korea and Switzerland— demonstrate to us that trusted intermediaries like the ARM Hub are essential for the process of industrial transformation,” said Professor Green.
Further Information For further information about the ARM Hub, please visit: https://www.armhub.com.au