Fortescue Metals Group is pushing ahead with the decarbonisation of its rail locomotive fleet with the arrival of two additional locomotives at Fortescue Future Industries’ (FFI) research and development facility in Hazelmere, Perth. The two four-stroke locomotives will undergo further testing on the new fuel system, joining the first two-stroke locomotive which underwent testing earlier…
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A second round of grants will be made available through the Translation and Integration streams of the federal Modern Manufacturing Initiative, with applications to open next week. According to a statement from industry minister Angus Taylor on Thursday, $280 million would be available through the second round. Grant funding of between $1 million and $20…
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Satellite services company SkyKraft has attracted a raft of top investors to a $3.5 million capital raising that will continue its rollout of SmallSat communications satellites. The Canberra company’s new investors include former Macquarie Bank CEO Alan Moss, Lennoxgrove Capital and Adcock Private Equity. Skykraft, based at the UNSW Canberra City, also recently received $1…
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Cooperative Research Centre Round 23 bids progressing to Stage 2 have been announced, with two explicitly manufacturing-focussed CRCs among them.
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By Peter Roberts The peak body for Australia’s largest manufacturing sector – food and groceries – has expressed disappointment with federal government policy and the rollout of its modern manufacturing initiative. The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) CEO Tanya Barden told a Senate inquiry this week that the sector needed a more coordinated policy…
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Today in our editorial series Leadership in factory automation, we hear from Simon Dawson who knows first hand how Australian manufacturers are running the automation race. And for those still in the pre-race warm up, he tells you how to lead out of the starting blocks. It’s no secret that the world of manufacturing is…
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SMEs shine at Defence Teaming Centre awards The achievements of six small to medium businesses have been recognised at the Defence Teaming Centre’s (DTC) Awards Ceremony, which mark the DTC’s 25th anniversary. PMB Defence won DTC’s Resilient and Adaptive award, while the Teaming award was awarded to Daronmont Technologies, Zenith Custom Creations, Cold Logic, and…
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Subsea buoyancy product manufacturer Matrix Composites and Engineering has received a letter of intent for the purchase of deepwater drilling riser buoyancy systems in Asia. The deal is with HMH USA and is for a new deepwater drilling rig project, and its size suggests that lean time experienced by the company in its oil and…
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By Alex Kingsbury Additive Manufacturing (AM) in 2021 saw funding flowing and start-ups growing! The following is merely a selection of some of the headline announcements and progress made in AM in Australia, of course summarised with my own personal take/flair. Perhaps the biggest cash injection for AM came with the Modern Manufacturing Initiative to…
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By Denham Sadler Australia has the potential to completely transform its economy and embrace innovation through modern manufacturing, according to Andrew Liveris, the architect of the federal government’s strategy in the space. In a Partners in Progress discussion, Australia’s Ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos and Mr Liveris discussed the tech opportunities on offer through…
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