By Bruno Vicari Stefani, CSIRO and Matthew Wright, University of Oxford Solar panel technology has made enormous progress in the last two decades. In fact, the most advanced silicon solar cells produced today are about as good as the technology will get. So what’s next? Enter “tandem solar cells”, the new generation in solar technology.…
By Brent Balinski One of the success stories of the Cooperative Research Centres program, which has been running since 1990, was the CRC for Advanced Composite Structures. Founded as the CRC for Aerospace Structures in 1991, it was restructured as the CRC for Advanced Composite Structures in 1997 to reflect a broader set of industry…
Defence and communications company Electro Optic Systems has demonstrated its high powered laser ‘drone killer’ weapon system in front of an international audience at the company’s Klondyke Range Complex in Western New South Wales. The laser director is shown in the main photograph, mounted on a standard 20 foot container. The directed energy weapon –…
By Tony Wood, Grattan Institute “To ensure Australian consumers continue to have access to reliable electricity supplies, it’s critical that planned investments in transmission, generation and storage projects are urgently delivered.” This week, we heard one of the strongest warnings yet from Daniel Westerman, head of the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). So far, media…
@AuManufacturing and Epicor’s online webinar is available to view online now discussing automation, smart data and workforce shortages. Our panel discussion moderated by editor Peter Roberts heard from manufacturing CEOs and industry experts on their use of technology to make better use of the staff they have, and on recruitment and retention. Joining the discussion…
By Peter Layton, Griffith University The United States military plans to start using thousands of autonomous weapons systems in the next two years in a bid to counter China’s growing power, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced in a speech on Monday. The so-called Replicator initiative aims to work with defence and other…
An RMIT University team has shown promising results from insect-inspired “microscale spikes” for titanium implants and other surfaces, demonstrating drug-free anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. According to a statement from the university, the features on the “micro-pillared titanium surface pattern” were about the height of a bacteria cell and designed to address drug-resistant “superbugs” which are…
Tuesday is the day to tune in to @AuManufacturing and Epicor’s online webinar discussing automation, smart data and workforce shortages. To start at 11am eastern time, the webinar is our response to the labour and skills shortages affecting every Australian manufacturer, big or small. Our panel discussion moderated by editor Peter Roberts, will hear from…
Eco Detection was a recent Top 10 Gold award winner in this title’s Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers campaign. Brent Balinski visited their Melbourne factory to learn about what drives their innovation program, and the role of local suppliers, customers and researchers in this. The story of Eco Detection – which makes “lab in…
Like many SME manufacturers Toowoomba, Queensland manufacturer Great Western Manufacturing had an Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that was not being utilised to its full potential, especially to help stream line operations that are often stretched by the sort of workforce shortages affecting all manufacturing. So financial controller Patrick Ferron and the manufacturing leader in…