Industry 4.0

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 →

New research undertaken by Swinburne, PwC, Siemens and the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) – as part of the Australian Industry (Ai) Group Industry 4.0 Forum agenda – has identified the ways in which manufacturing businesses and workforces must adapt to changes being wrought by Industry 4.0. The research report, titled Transforming Australian Manufacturing: Preparing … Continue reading New report: collaboration needed to drive Industry 4.0 innovation and growth →

New research has found that most employers are unprepared for the digital future of work and risk being left behind. The RMIT study examined demand and supply for digital skills in Australia – especially in the sectors of transport and logistics and public safety and correctional services – as well as a broader survey of … Continue reading Study shows industry workforce is unprepared for demands of the digital age →

Federal Labor has committed $20 million for the proposed $50 million Flinders University-led Australian Centre for Innovative Manufacturing (ACIM) at Tonsley, which is to connect Australian companies with the latest manufacturing technologies and research expertise, and provide training to modernise workforces. The 4000msq advanced manufacturing test bed facility at Flinders’ Tonsley Innovation District is expected … Continue reading $20 million promised for Australia’s first “Future Factory” →

At the Hannover Messe 2019 trade fair, seven leading suppliers from mechanical engineering, industrial automation and software have announced the foundation of the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance. With this cooperation, the companies want to overcome proprietary solutions and give a decisive boost to the digital transformation of the European industry. Founding members of the alliance … Continue reading Open Industry 4.0 Alliance launched at Hannover Messe →

Swinburne University of Technology and its industry and research partners have been awarded $1 million of funding through the Global Innovation Linkages Program towards a $3.5 million project focused on Industry 4.0 manufacturing of high volume lightweight composites. The project will use a world-first process for 3D printing of industrial scale composites in Swinburne’s Industry … Continue reading Swinburne gets $1 million in funding for world-first industrial-scale 3D printing process →

On a balmy summer day in February, the Industrial Internet 4.0 Summit took place at Aerial Function Room at Sydney’s UTS. It was the third such summit after the first one was launched in 2017. Three years ago, a lot of the delegates were still dipping their toes into what some thought were murky waters. … Continue reading Starting simple: Why the IoT doesn’t have to cost the Earth →

Innovate Expo 2019 will feature Siemens CEO Jeff Connolly as a guest speaker, the Geelong Manufacturing Council has announced. The event, a showcase for Industry 4.0 technology and innovation for Geelong and regional Victoria, is to be held held on March 7 at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium. Jeff Connolly is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of … Continue reading Siemens head to speak at Innovate Expo 2019 →

A new global Blockchain Centre of Excellence has been launched by Swinburne University of Technology in partnership with the French-based digital technology consulting company Capgemini. The centre will focus on advancing blockchain technologies, platforms, assets and systems to develop industry understanding and implementation of blockchain technologies. Swinburne’s multi-disciplinary team will collaborate with Capgemini’s network of … Continue reading Swinburne launches new blockchain research centre with Capgemini →

A partnership has been formed between Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), Swinburne University of Technology and Sleep Corp to boost advanced manufacturing in Australia. The partnership is to analyse Sleep Corp’s business and see what improvements can be made as they move towards Industry 4.0, with a view to move to fully automated manufacturing. … Continue reading Industry 4.0 partnership formed between Swinburne, IMCRC and Sleep Corp →

The manufacturer of industrial welding exhaust systems, Kemper, has launched a new filtration system that offers digitalisation through an IoT-compatible control module. Kemper’s WeldFil series replaces the company’s previous central 8000 and 9000 extraction systems. The new system is both internet compatible and provides further optimisation with regards to expenditure of energy, maintenance needs and … Continue reading New welding filtration system offers IoT compatibility →

At its annual Automation Fair, Rockwell Automation unveiled the company’s new branding and shared announcements about its new products which seek to enhance productivity by harnessing data and information within organisations. The new brand promise, “Expanding Human Possibility” seeks to promote the company’s efforts to connect people, machines and data digitally, with the aim of … Continue reading Rockwell Automation launches new branding and products at Automation Fair →

Nord Drivesystems has joined fellow manufacturers SMC Pneumatics, Beckhoff Automation, Balluff, ZI-Argus in an expert panel that will address the complexities of Industry 4.0 and industrial internet of things (IIoT)technologies. The panel, Open IIoT, will seek to not only solve automation challenges but to demonstrate tangible customer savings. Nord Drivesystems managing director, Martin Broglia said … Continue reading Nord Drivesystems joins Industry 4.0 and IIoT expert panel →

Industry 4.0 implementation is now more possible than ever, Jozef Ceh explains. While it’s not a new concept, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) continues to generate buzz in the industry with the promise of unlocking further opportunity and great value. Naturally, the adoption rate of such technologies hasn’t quite taken off at a rapid … Continue reading IIoT technologies are becoming more ‘real’ →

Vicor Corporation has announced a  bidirectional non-isolated fixed-ratio converter for hybrid 48V/12V power systems in data center and automotive applications. The 2317 NBM is a bidirectional converter capable of providing up to 750W continuously at 48V from 12V, or at 12V from 48V, with over 98 per cent peak efficiency. With up to 1kW of … Continue reading Bidirectional 48V/12V NBM converter for data center applications →

Siemens has granted more than $450 million of advanced industrial PLM software to the University of South Australia to train future shipbuilders. The grant provides a suite of advanced PLM software including the Teamcenter portfolio for engineering collaboration, NXTM software for 3D design, the SimcenterTM portfolio for predictive engineering simulation and analytics and the Tecnomatix … Continue reading University of South Australia granted Industry 4.0 software suite →

An innovation hub to help Australian companies make the shift from traditional manufacturing to more advanced, value-added products has opened in Adelaide. The Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation Hub in Adelaide is designed to accelerate the national adoption of ‘industry 4.0’ technology among hi-tech and manufacturing businesses, as well as foster research and development. The hub’s February … Continue reading Innovation hub to fast-track Industry 4.0 →

IoTium, a secure network infrastructure company for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), announced the general availability of its Network as a Service (NaaS) offering, designed to securely connect legacy onsite systems in mission-critical environments to accelerate the deployment of Industry 4.0 at scale. Target environments applications include building and industrial automation, oil and gas, … Continue reading Secure, scalable, SDN-based network infrastructure for Industrial IoT →

It’s been hard to miss the curiosity around “the Fourth Industrial revolution” across industry news stories and conversations over the last few years. Scott Moffat, managing director of Pilz Australia reveals how automation is set to be industry’s big game changer.

The fourth industrial revolution brings us the convergence of effectively unlimited computer power, ever-smarter artificial intelligence (AI) and globalisation. These technologies will combine to challenge our understanding of what it means to be a worker, and even what it means to be human.