Opinion

The use of metal additive manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized the manufacturing industry, allowing for the creation of complex and intricate parts in a faster and more cost-effective manner.

By Andy Cunningham, Regional Director, Autodesk (Australia & New Zealand) This year is set to be a year like no other for Australia’s manufacturing industry....

Today’s end consumers demand quality, and they are quick to try a competitive product when disappointment hits. For manufacturers, the quest to achieve less variability, more consistency and enhanced customer satisfaction has never been more critical.

Australians are familiar with natural disasters like heatwaves, bushfires, droughts, floods, severe storms, and tropical cyclones. According to the Climate Council, 84 per cent of Australians have been directly affected by at least one climate-fuelled disaster since 2019(1).

The Australian manufacturing sector is in a state of emergency. Insolvencies have tripled in two years since 2022, and the industry is battling a perfect storm of labor shortages, supply chain disruption, and skyrocketing inflation. 

In today's increasingly globalised world, the strength and resilience of a nation depend on its ability to nurture and grow strategic industries.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has the ability to disrupt industrial processes and to facilitate the achievement of innovative, cost-effective, and speedy outcomes when compared to traditional production processes.

Priorities in the supply chain are expanding, moving away from cost as the main driver behind purchasing decisions. Now, sustainability and ethical sourcing are grabbing a portion of the spotlight.

The talk around Industry 4.0 (the fourth industrial revolution) and smart factories has been dominating the Australian manufacturing sector for several years now. However, as recent reports show, adoption is largely still in its infancy, something which is holding us back.

Most manufacturing companies in Australia are well on their way to understanding what a low or no carbon future means for their business. However, pressure from shareholders and consumers is building for the manufacturing sector to decarbonise quicker than 2050 given that it is amongst the top three heaviest carbon emitters in Australia.