Feature

The heavy asset industry has proven resilient to economic, social, and environmental challenges it has faced over centuries of operation. In today’s environment of heightened technical advancement and greater-than-ever focus on employee wellbeing and productivity, Management Controls President Ken Naughton has identified several industry-leading trends that will impact decision-making through 2023 and into 2024.

Australian-owned floorcare and cleaning company Godfreys last month announced the opening of a new Commercial Support Office in Melbourne. While the showroom itself marks an exciting foray into commercial cleaning at an impressive scale, it also suggests the beginning a new post-covid era that sees a renewed focus on health and safety in the manufacturing industry and beyond.

Today additive manufacturing is flourishing across all industries, from applications in small businesses, government research, defence, manufacturing and educational institutions.

Precision Plastics Australia has unveiled DesignLab.au, a new platform designed to link global product designers with Australian additive manufacturing capability, in a move that reflects the growing shift toward locally produced, design-led consumer goods. 

The importance of having a resilient supply chain has been heavily emphasised as skyrocketing costs of essential items are showing no signs of slowing down in Australia and across the globe. 

Labour costs have begun to rise making automation more attractive and threatening job security. Focus has also shifted from mass produced products to customised products particularly in the field of consumer products. Fortunately, 3D printing is able to mitigate these changes and allow manufacturing to shift from traditional to advanced production.

Manufacturing has entered a new phase in its digital transformation, with Industrial AI moving beyond pilot programs into core operational systems. 

Photo-chemical etching (PCE) has become a popular choice for component manufacturers in the aerospace, medical, and electronics industries as it enables the production of intricate shapes and patterns with high precision. 

Habitat for Humanity and PERI 3D Construction discuss the process of building the organization’s first 3D printed home, including how Autodesk Fusion 360 played an important role.

In the ever-evolving world of manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a ground-breaking technology with transformative potential. From aerospace to healthcare, AM has revolutionized industries by enabling the creation of complex, customized parts with unprecedented precision.