Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, April 28 – May 2, 2025

What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to @AuManufacturing were reading. 5) The critical trade keeping Australian manufacturing alive Australian manufacturing faces a hidden crisis as the number of toolmakers and engineering pattern-makers has declined by 70 per cent between 2006 and 2021, according to the latest Census data. Only 2,220 practitioners remain…

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Tetra Tech to acquire SAGE Group

Adelaide-born industrial automation company SAGE Group Holdings has been acquired by NASDAQ-listed consulting and engineering services business Tetra Tech for an undisclosed amount. According to a statement from SAGE on Friday, the deal will provide international expansion opportunities across water, energy, transportation, defence, and manufacturing. It is subject to Foreign Investment Review Board approval and…

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Droplet discovery: Water creates 10 times more electrical charge than scientists thought

Speaking on the @AuManufacturing Conversations podcast recently, Dr Joe Berry from the University of Melbourne and Dr Peter Sherrell from RMIT explained how they observed that when a water droplet becomes stuck on a tiny bump or rough spot, the force builds up until it “jumps or slips” past the obstacle, creating an irreversible electrical charge that had not been reported before.

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How to use battery storage to optimise industrial electrification

Sponsored article One of the most promising developments for industrial and commercial energy users is the integration of behind-the-meter (BTM) battery storage systems.   Businesses can unlock significant value from BTM batteries—not just by avoiding costly grid upgrades but by creating new revenue streams and enhancing energy resilience.  The evolving grid  The power grid was never…

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