Established in 1986, Blackhead Quarries is a joint venture between Palmer & Son and Fulton Hogan and operates a number of quarries in the region surrounding Dunedin, in New Zealand’s South Island. Opened in the 1950s, the company’s Blackhead Quarry, located on Green Island, produces 300,000 tonnes of aggregate per year. The company also operates … Continue reading Local support key to upgrade →

A need for better profit margins, a reduction in labour costs, reducing fire risk and bringing the company into the 21st century were all part of the reason Dulux decided to build a new paint plant in Merrifield, Victoria. Being the number one paint manufacturer in Australia meant the company had to make sure none … Continue reading Dulux paints a picture of its new smart factory →

Running 23-24 May in Adelaide, the Australian Energy Storage Conference and Exhibition (AES 2018) saw the biggest names and leading companies in energy storage come together to showcase new technologies and processes in the sector. This year’s conference had the largest number of conference delegates and exhibitors compared to past events, with delegates enjoying presentations … Continue reading Energy storage conference highlighted strong storage potential →

The news that an Uber self-driving vehicle has killed a pedestrian in the US has made headlines around the world. It’s a reminder that the era of self-driving cars is fast approaching. Decades of research into advanced sensors, mapping, navigation and control methods have now come to fruition and autonomous cars are starting to hit … Continue reading Who’s to blame when driverless cars have an accident? →

In 1966, 20th Century Fox released a movie called Fantastic Voyage. It was a cold war saga about a Soviet Union scientist who had discovered how to miniaturise matter by shrinking individual atoms. While US scientists had managed to harness the process for an hour, the Soviet scientist knew how to do it permanently. However, … Continue reading Back to the future with nano technology →

A love of science and the realisation that variety and the ability to build something was the key to a fulfilling career was the reason AMS’ analytical product manager Dr Dion Houtman became a process engineer. Having had his current role for the past year, Houtman said he knew during high school that the sciences … Continue reading Being challenged is key to job satisfaction →

We all want to know how many jobs will be threatened by the rise of robots and technology. You might feel vulnerable if your job is one that could be affected. But thanks to a new report, 27 per cent of the 160 million people in the United States labour force can breathe easier knowing … Continue reading Will technology take your job? →

Four years ago West Australia-based power utility Horizon Power saw that the electricity industry was in a state of flux and decided it wanted to be at the leading edge even it meant being a little unconventional. “Our plan included customers generating their own energy,” said Horizon Power’s Mike Houlahan. “We wanted customers to use … Continue reading Why embracing disruption is a good thing →

Being honest and looking out for your client’s best interests can lead to a long-term beneficial relationship for both companies. PACE explains. Metquip Systems general manager Jose Lobato is a passionate man. It shows in how he talks and the enthusiasm he exhibits when explaining what his company does. Maybe it’s because he’s been in … Continue reading The road to a sustainable plant upgrade →

The push to reduce industrial carbon emissions in Australia has led to more renewable energy projects on the ground including solar, wind and biogas. Steven Impey looks at what’s the best foot forward. ———————– Turning energy into money is the business many manufacturers are in. They may not look at it in that light – … Continue reading Turning Australia on to natural power →

Having reliable equipment in automated plant is key to making sure that everything runs smoothly when the production process is in progress. Poorly performing equipment can have a knock-on effect that can lead to failure in other parts of the plant. This is why when choosing equipment to run and monitor plant it is advisable … Continue reading Panel PCs powered by 6th gen iCore processors →

Ford closing its car assembly plant in Geelong was the death knell for many small businesses in the tight community south-west of Melbourne. Despite both state and federal government promises, unions getting militant and locals crossing their fingers, toes – just about everything – hoping that the Australian car industry could survive, the doors closed … Continue reading How opportunities arose after the auto industry left town →

Beckhoff is well-known in the world of automation for PC-based control systems, EtherCAT and other sophisticated technologies. Talking with Christian Vilsbeck, editor-in-chief of automation magazine A&D, Hans Beckhoff reveals why he wasn’t taken seriously at first, why not every component has to be intelligent, and why digitization without a human touch will fail. Your passion … Continue reading Trust reduces complexity of digitisation →

The first systems to use anaerobic digestion technology to turn waste plastics into energy and fertiliser are being developed in South Australia. POET Systems expects to have its first two machines – each capable of processing 20 tonnes of plastic a week – operating commercially in about 12 months. POET is an acronym for Polymer … Continue reading Machine turns waste plastic into energy →

Whether in operating theatres or looking after patients in intensive care wards, a reliable power supply is essential for a modern hospital. If the power and therefore the medical life support equipment should fail during a surgical procedure, the consequences would be unimaginable. That’s why energy supply systems in hospitals are doubly or even triply … Continue reading Failsafe power helping to eliminate hospital blackouts →

Robotics will cause the most disruption in the supply chain in the next five years, according to a study carried out by the University of Tennessee’s Knoxville’s Global Supply Chain Institute, as first reported by Modern Materials Handling. The study looked at the anticipated impact of five technologies on the supply chain on the next … Continue reading Robotics to be biggest supply chain disruptor →

The advent of the Internet of Things will result in a complete overhaul of industrial operations.

With the push for greater development of clean renewable energy sources continuing to gather momentum, is there likely to be an increasing focus on potential opportunities for involvement of Australia’s manufacturing industry in supplying this market segment?