Articles
3D printing: a new threat to gun control and security policy?
The threat of self-manufactured firearms is not new, but a critical barrier is collapsing. Until recently, most people didn't have the skills to make a weapon as capable as commercially available ones. However, recent developments in the field of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, have made home manufacturing simpler than ever before. [ + ]
Are Australian companies doing enough to transform themselves?
Rob Strummer, MD of IFS Australia & New Zealand, expresses his concerns over where Australia is ranked globally in relation to digital transformation. [ + ]
Intelligent sensor technology and the cloud
Big data analytics will play an important role in the realisation of Industry 4.0, and the most efficient way to achieve it will be by the effective use of cloud computing technologies. [ + ]
Smart devices rely on even smarter engineering
As industrial machines become more sophisticated and connected, the need for 'smart engineering' and detailed application knowledge continues to grow to increase productivity and safety, lower risk and reduce costs of compliance. [ + ]
Alarming discoveries: improving operator effectiveness
Alarm management standards such as IEC 62682 and ISA 18.2 emphasise the importance of life cycle support in alarm management. [ + ]
Cloud-based SCADA as an IIoT gateway
Consumer media is awash with articles concerning the Internet of Things (IoT) and how smarter devices — the things in the IoT — are changing the world. Another hot tech topic is the cloud in all of its forms: cloud storage, cloud-based apps, cloud-powered mobile devices, cloud-hosted virtual machines and other applications. [ + ]
Ten tips to get the most out of optical gas imaging
Optical gas imaging cameras are powerful tools for detecting fugitive emissions that are not visible to the eye. [ + ]
Innovation policy should promote technology use, not just creation
The Australian Government's innovation agenda has declared a focus on start-up innovation, but appears not to lack any focus on the sort of innovation our industries need to be competitive today. [ + ]
Radar with 360° vision that can see through obstacles
The limitations of optical safety scanners have now been overcome by the use of millimetre-wave radar technology. [ + ]
Next-gen electric vehicle batteries take a salt bath
A new generation of rechargeable lithium batteries may soon be ready to jump-start the electric vehicle industry, thanks to the humble salt bath. [ + ]
Intelligent sensors the key to Industry 4.0
While Australia is challenged by a declining manufacturing sector, the utilisation of the industrial internet has the potential to introduce a major competitive advantage. [ + ]
Thin client HMIs in process automation
Virtualisation has become more and more popular in process automation and has opened up more possibilities for how HMI systems can be deployed. [ + ]
Comparing IS barrier solutions
Significant savings, both initial installation and ongoing maintenance costs, for an intrinsically safe (IS) facility or project can be achieved by selecting the appropriate apparatus as the IS barrier for the system. [ + ]
Metal detection or X-ray inspection: what food processors should know
Consumer safety has always been a primary concern for food processors. With significant costs and penalties for non-compliance, processors will be relying, more than ever before, on the latest quality control methodologies and equipment to keep the food supply safe. [ + ]
Subsea pipeline corrosion management
The harsh marine environment exposes pipelines to a range of severe climatic and chemical conditions, resulting in a range of corrosion challenges requiring mitigation. [ + ]
