By Anya Phelan, Griffith University After the memorable collapse of Australia’s largest soft plastic recycling program REDcycle in late 2022, a new scheme is emerging. It’s remarkably similar, albeit on a much smaller scale. The trial underway in 12 Melbourne supermarkets intends, once again, to provide customers with an in-store option for recycling “scrunchable” food…
By Andrew Gunn, Monash University and Christian Jakob, Monash University The bush is full up – no room for more renewables, according to Nationals leader David Littleproud. Instead, renewables should be restricted to large solar arrays on commercial buildings in the cities. The country-focused minor party presumably hopes to capitalise on rural scepticism of large scale…
Silicon battery developer Altech Batteries has reported ‘excellent progress’ in the manufacture of prototype CERENERGY battery developed in joint venture with Germany’s Fraunhofer IKTS institute. Fraunhofer has developed a pilot plant in Hermsdorf, Germany which has been building two 60 kWh silicon battery pack prototypes designed for the grid storage market since 2023. The battery…
@AuManufacturing is on the hunt to identify and celebrate Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers. Here, Peter Roberts profiles one of 2023’s most innovative – 3D scanning manufacturer for the apparel sector, Bodd. In a back street off trendy Chapel Street Prahran in Melbourne what looks like a warehouse converted to a town house is the…
The calibre of nominees has been high so far, and there are only five weeks left to apply for a spot on this year’s prestigious Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers list. This year we have profiled: EMVision, a brain scanning device manufacturer addressing the world’s second-biggest killer, stroke; Scimita Ventures, a commercialisation specialist working the…
By Thomas Longden, Western Sydney University How long does it take to build a solar or wind farm? It’s a simple question with wide implications. To reach our ambitious 82% renewable energy target by 2030, we have to build many new projects – and start them soon. In 2022, renewables hit a new high of 36%…
Italian-headquartered cable company Prysmian Group has said it expects to make new hires after an expansion at its factory on Sydney’s northern beaches to supply Telstra’s intercity fibre network. Prysmian was selected by Telstra in 2022 to provide fibre optical cable for Telstra InfraCo. The network will cover an estimated 14,000 kilometres, following the addition…
As our journey to uncover Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers gathers pace, we hear from a small business from Robe in South Australia that’s developed a world-first polymer using a difficult industrial waste stream. Brent Balinski spoke to Transmutation founder Brad Scott about the career shift that brought him to plastic recycling. Brad Scott uses…
Victorian employers fined more than $16 million for safety breaches WorkSafe Victoria has said it completed 153 successful health and safety prosecutions last year, reminding employees in the state they will face serious legal consequences if they put workers at risk. A total of $16,182,957 in fines was imposed by courts in 2023 for breaches…
Commercial space launch company Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) has shared completed designs for its Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) buildings, each offering assembly, integration and testing facilities at ELA’s Arnhem Space Centre (ASC). Each building at the Northern Territory site offers a 40-metre by 26-metre by 12-metre standard configuration and incorporating “advanced space mission specific features”…