The PSENscan safety laser scanners from Pilz are now also suitable for area guarding in vertical applications, eg, for access protection. PSENscan applications can now be designed with greater flexibility, which minimises downtimes and increases cost-effectiveness. Due to integrated muting inputs, applications can now be monitored in which material is simultaneously transported in and out. … Continue reading Pilz PSENscan safety laser scanner →

Ten teams of businesses, students and graduates will compete in the The National Innovation Games launched on the Gold Coast this week. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said ten teams of businesses, students and graduates will put their minds to the test in the competition, which fosters creative thinking and collaboration. Federal … Continue reading Innovation Games begin on the Gold Coast →

A lab that enables manufacturers to create virtual replicas, or “digital twins”, of physical objects and systems has been launched by CSIRO’s Data61. The Mixed Reality Lab in Melbourne houses a set-up of industrial and consumer optical cameras and sensing equipment to capture detailed information about a physical object and the space surrounding it. The … Continue reading CSIRO’s Data61 launches “digital twin” lab →

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced up to $40 million in funding towards the deployment of a pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) project in South Australia. ARENA’s funding will help to fast track development of South Australia’s first PHES plant. The successful funding recipient will be at least 200 MW in capacity, and … Continue reading ARENA to fund SA pumped hydro energy storage project →

UNSW University students have designed a virtual and augmented reality system that enables workers to safely shut down dangerous machinery in industrial plants, an effort that has seen them win this year’s UNSW Maker Games competition. Now in its third year, the Maker Games encourages UNSW students from multiple faculties to come together and design … Continue reading Virtual reality industrial safety solution wins UNSW Maker Games →

Construction companies that understand the requirements of industrial automation are few and far between. We talk to Total Construction’s James Bolton and Rob Blythman to discuss how the company’s expertise extends across the advanced industrial sector. Industry 4.0 – it is the concept on every manufacturer’s lips. The potential of advanced technologies and techniques to … Continue reading The Total take on Industry 4.0 →

Mining company BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), TAFE Queensland and CQUniversity Australia have announced a new multi-million dollar skills partnership that will support the introduction of new technology and advanced skills in the mining industry. The key aim of the partnership – called the Queensland Future Skills Partnership – is to fund and facilitate the fast-tracked … Continue reading Partnership to help mining move into Industry 4.0 →

Swinburne University has been awarded the 2019 Australian Business Award (ABA) for Business Innovation for its Industry 4.0 Initiative. The ABA program honours high-performing organisations that implement world-class business initiatives and develop innovative products and services. Swinburne University has been working with industry partners to solve challenges in the transition to Industry 4.0 and create … Continue reading Swinburne University awarded for Industry 4.0 Initiative →

By David Willingham, Senior Application Engineer at Mathworks Australia Machine Learning seems to be the engineering industry’s latest buzzword – a technology with astonishing potential, yet one that many businesses struggle to understand, let alone embrace. Just last year, fewer than one-third (23%) of businesses had adopted any level of Machine Learning automation, and only … Continue reading Getting back to the basics: what is machine learning? →

One of Queensland’s largest wind farms, Mt Emerald Wind Farm, has been officially opened 50 kilometres south west of Cairns. The Mt Emerald Wind Farm is to supply 500 million kilowatt hours of renewable electricity every year, which is reportedly enough to power 80,000 homes a year, or the equivalent to supplying about one third … Continue reading Mt Emerald Wind Farm officially opened in North Queensland →

This year, National Science Week is being celebrated with more than 1,900 registered events across Australia. National Science Week events will be held in museums, libraries, galleries, research institutions, schools, universities, parks and even shopping centres. Hundreds of schools and workplaces will also be holding ‘Brain Break’ science-themed morning teas. NASA scientists and Nobel Laureates … Continue reading Importance of STEM skills highlighted during National Science Week →

The productivity-enhancing potentials of the technologies associated with Industry 4.0 are becoming increasingly attractive to manufacturers. But where can a small- or medium-sized company go to find the right path forward? We take a look at the benefits of industry collaboration with research institutions. Media representations of Australia’s manufacturing sector today are often characterised by … Continue reading Taking the leap: research collaboration as a path to industrial innovation →

A new report from the Australian Industry (Ai) Group has outlined the state of business digitalisation as more companies transition to Industry 4.0, providing a set of recommendations on how to overcome lingering challenges. The report, titled The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Australian businesses in transition, indicates that an increasing number of company business models are … Continue reading More businesses transitioning to Industry 4.0, new report finds →

The Western Australian government has announced that two of four operating units at Synergy’s Muja Power Station will be retired from October 2022, a move which it says will protect against higher power bills for households and ensure the state’s electricity supply remains stable. According to WA premier Mark McGowan, keeping the two units operating … Continue reading Two operating units at Muja Power Station to be retired →

The federal government has announced the 2019 Offshore Petroleum Acreage Release, comprising 64 areas, the largest since 2000. More than 120,000 square kilometres of acreage will be released for a single round of work program bidding. This will be the first release of acreage under a new streamlined system which delivers an annual investment cycle … Continue reading Government releases 120,000 square kilometres of acreage for oil and gas exploration →

The federal government is hosting technology industry roundtables in an effort to boost collaboration and tackle challenges and opportunities facing the technology sector. The first roundtable was held last week, with another to be held this Thursday. Federal industry, science and technology minister Karen Andrews, who is hosting the roundtables, said that the technology industry … Continue reading Technology roundtables to boost industry collaboration →

ifm recently held a fundraiser for the Starlight Children’s Foundation with a Christmas in July theme, with ifm’s staff and their partners attending along with some of the company’s customers. The night was very entertaining, with people bidding on holidays and various household goods – from refrigerators to weekends away and everything in between. The … Continue reading ifm raises $7,000 for Starlight Children’s Foundation →

Backplane Systems Technology has released Neousys Technology’s Nuvo-5100VTC, a rugged embedded system meeting EN 50155 certification designed for railway and in-vehicle applications. The Nuvo-5100VTC features state-of-the-art Intel 6th Generation Core processor to exhibit remarkable computing performance for emerging high-end requirements, while its proven fanless design maintains EN50155 TX class temperature range from 40℃ to 70℃. … Continue reading BST releases Neousys Technology’s Nuvo-5100VTC →

A report from the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) on artificial intelligence (AI) is encouraging Australians to embrace the emerging technology. The panel, co-chaired by UNSW Sydney Professor Toby Walsh, urges Australians to reflect on what AI-enabled future the nation wants, as the future impact of AI on our society will be ultimately determined … Continue reading ACOLA report encourages further embrace of AI-related technologies →

The Victorian government has announced it will deliver a $855,000 grant for new defence manufacturing skills training project. State Minister for Training and Skills and Higher Education Gayle Tierney today visited leading Victorian manufacturing firm A.W. Bell in Dandenong South to announce the grant. “This training will ensure we have the skilled workers we need … Continue reading Vic government to boost funding for defence manufacturing skills →