News

SA pilot delivers for SMEs

DMTC Limited has completed another successful implementation of its Smart Enough® Factory program, this time with a group of companies in South Australia.

DMTC’s initiative supports manufacturers to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies, kickstarting their digital transformation and accelerating their preparedness to contribute to supply chains.

Delivered as part of BAE Systems Australia’s Connected Supplier Project, and with support from Flinders University, DMTC’s program led to impressive outcomes for all six companies involved.

The project used the DMTC’s Smart Enough® Factory toolkit to pull on ‘digital threads’ and realise efficiencies across each company’s business operations but also, critically, to focus on the data and process intersections between suppliers and primes.

Improvements in the digital transfer of quotes and work orders, efficiencies in quality assurance and reduction in manual handling of forms and documentation are among the areas identified for improvement.

Across a six-month period, DMTC’s delivery team provides practical, hands-on support for participating companies to leverage low-cost, low-code solutions that make a real difference to visibility of performance data and insights into productivity gains.

BAE Systems Australia’s Continuous Naval Shipbuilding Director, Sharon Wilson, emphasised her company’s commitment to uplifting Australian industry and building the future workforce.

“Industry 4.0 technologies and advanced manufacturing methods are changing the face of not just shipbuilding, but industries across the country and the globe – and we are right at the forefront of it,” Ms Wilson said.

“Our work with Australian businesses and academia is creating new jobs and career paths for people entering the workforce, and those who have already had long careers, with opportunities to upskill and re-train in digital technologies.”

SA workshop attendees

Tasmanian manufacturer CBG Systems, who are in the process of establishing a new South Australian manufacturing facility, used the project to understand opportunities to apply innovation and increase their competitiveness.

“Working with DMTC, Flinders University, and BAE Systems has allowed us to better grasp and open the door to the 4th industrial revolution and allow a clear digitisation pathway for our core manufacturing capability in South Australia,” CBG Systems Business Development Manager, Chris Brown, said.

Another of the participating companies, Novafast, designed, engineered and manufactured a non-invasive, smart computer system to monitor and relay critical information to a visual hub to provide instant data feedback.

Axiom Precision Manufacturing, MyModular, MG Engineering, Century Engineering and the Factory of the Future team joined Novafast and CBG in the program.

Manufacturing Growth Accelerator

South Australia’s Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Dr Susan Close, welcomed the successful conclusion of the pilot project.

“Helping South Australian industry access the cutting-edge findings and technologies within our research institutes is a focus of South Australia’s Advanced Manufacturing Strategy,” Dr Close said.

“Released last month, the Strategy outlines the state’s ambition to build upon existing advanced manufacturing capabilities to capitalise on the global green transition, become a partner of choice in an insecure world, and build South Australia’s talent.”

The wrap-up event was held at the Tonsley Innovation District, home to the ‘Factory of the Future’, and allowed each company to share the outcomes and learnings from the first steps on their digital journey. More than 30 attendees, including senior BAE executives and South Australian Government reps, heard compelling stories about the benefits of the program.

South Australia is the fifth Australian state to host DMTC’s Smart Enough® Factory capability uplift programs for its local small businesses, following similar activities in Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, and Queensland.