Accelerometers are critical in establishing a well-functioning condition monitoring system. PACE takes a look at a new portable accelerometer calibrator, the 28959G. The era of automation has elevated the role of sensors to a new high.  Sensors are now key components within manufacturing processes and within infrastructure control systems helping engineers to maximise productivity, minimise … Continue reading Using accelerometers in condition monitoring →

Will robots take our jobs? Or will they provide new opportunities for better working conditions for manufacturing workers? In his presentation at AUSPACK 2019, Universal Robots’ Peter Hern said the introduction of collaborative robots into firms is bringing the human element back in an age of machines and computers. AUSPACK 2019, Australia’s largest packaging and … Continue reading Overtaking Industry 4.0: the coming of the cobots →

The laser sensor from Bestech Australia offers reliable and highly precise measurement for automation requirement in factory and process plants. They can be easily integrated to the industrial control system and also have compact design for installation in an area where space is limited, such as in test bench or control system. Depending on the … Continue reading Understanding laser sensor for application in test bench and production control →

Fusion energy offers the possibility of a highly potent power source without waste and dangerous emissions, and with almost unlimited fuel. PACE speaks to physicist Richard Garrett about Australia’s role in a promising fusion project. Discussions about the best way forward for energy production and supply invariably centre on the pros and cons of renewable … Continue reading Powering into the future with fusion: Australian research and the ITER project →

As Australian manufacturing companies compete with growing overseas markets, traditional methods of producing and conveying parts through various manufacturing steps are coming under close scrutiny. Being lean and smarter are two ways to become more competitive. “We have been looking at smarter manufacturing designs for our clients and the Lean principles help with those designs,” … Continue reading Local manufacturer producing infra-red ovens to save energy →

With more industrial systems seeking to get ahead in the Internet of Things (IoT) space, there are more and more risks from online hazards. We speak to Schneider Electric’s Peter Clissold about how companies can better protect themselves. The development of the Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed the industrial process and control sector, with … Continue reading Vigilance against cyber threats key to staying up to speed with IoT →

An education in STEM needn’t be seen as narrowing career path options. BOC’s Edith Butterfield talks about how having an inquisitive mind has helped her adapt to her many roles in the company. These days, it is considered highly unusual for younger members of the workforce to stay within one industry for longer than a … Continue reading Growing skills on the job and taking STEM in a different direction →

Sensors have long been used in industrial settings to monitor and improve processes and systems. Associate Professor Flora Salim from RMIT University speaks about how researchers are using sensor technology to enhance the liveability of our cities. Manufacturing plants and refineries are usually highly-structured environments. They typically feature machinery, automated systems, and computerised technologies and … Continue reading Sensors and the smart cities of the future →

Pilz Australia has been a leader in safety automation solutions for the past 21 years. Rob Stevenson, the company’s national sales and marketing manager, talks with PACE about where the company is headed in the future. Pilz, the German-based automation company, has had a long history of success and innovation in the automation sector. The … Continue reading Looking back and moving forward in automation →

In processing facilities in the chemical, pharmaceutical and energy industries, the main focus today, more than ever, is on safety. That’s why Safety Integrity Level (SIL) is becoming more important, providing modern process instrumentation with a coherent concept that can minimise potentially high risks to people and the environment. Vegadif 85 is a differential pressure … Continue reading Safety key component to new differential pressure transmitter →

Total Construction has opened a new category to its expanding portfolio of construction specialities. Mike Wheeler asks James Bolton and Rob Blythman about the company’s new Infrastructure Division. With any business, those in the driving seat have to look ahead to the future if they want to expand and/or succeed. Success can come in many … Continue reading Market change leads to rethink on construction needs →

There are many ways for a business to succeed. Timing might be the key. Maybe there’s a gap in the market. It could be inventing a new product. Or, even something as simple as slightly changing the functionality of a product to give it a new dimension. When it comes to industrial spray booths, Process … Continue reading Picking the right spray booth for industrial applications →

Meet Product Sales Manager Darryl Blackeby – an expert in the vision and identification product range of ifm (such as sensor cameras). Darryl is inspired by how customers use ifm sensors and is always interested in finding new applications for sensors that can help businesses improve and increase their efficiency. 

The concept of Industry 4.0 was coined in Germany in 2011, and has now been adopted by the manufacturing and logistics industry as the next industrial revolution. However, for many organisations and sectors Industry 4.0, as a goal, is still a vision rather than a reality. “A lot of people are still trying to grasp … Continue reading What will the factory of the future look like? →

Engineering has been ingrained in Jessica Barber’s life for more than 15 years. Barber has worked as a general manager in the mining industry, and for a company that manufactures bricks in spaces for residential and commercial use. When people think of engineering, they often associate it with men. The reality is that there’s an … Continue reading Jessica Barber paves her way to the top of the engineering leaderboard →

Reliability and flexibility are two key ingredients for component manufacturer GPC Electronics as it tries to meet the requirements of its clients. Being in the highly competitive components space means that the company has to be smart when it comes to the processes it uses to manufacture its products. It has to produce high volumes … Continue reading How digitisation kept a company competitive on a global scale →