ARM Hub is Helping Unlock the Potential of Australian Manufacturing

Australians are well-aware of the need to advance manufacturing operations to secure sovereignty and growth as a nation. Harnessing technology and Industry 4.0 are the crux of the solution, but how can Australia develop world-leading technology capabilities to become an advanced manufacturing nation? Queensland’s independent, not-for-profit, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub has been doing just that. Their unique business model allows ARM Hub to work intimately with supply chains in our critical industries, with a focus on small-to-medium manufacturers, to bridge the gap between industry and innovation.

Within its first year of operation, the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub has found a huge and growing appetite for Australian businesses to innovate and take the world head-on.

The ARM Hub accelerates Australian industry’s uptake of advanced manufacturing through robotics and related technologies and is now assisting a wide range of companies develop as global business leaders.

According to Associate Professor Cori Stewart (Chief Executive Officer, ARM Hub), “We fill a critical gap for industry between research and commercialisation, bringing together the diverse expert teams needed to solve industry’s manufacturing challenges.”

Image: ARM Hub Learning Factory in Brisbane, Queensland. “As an independent not-for-profit we have the agility required to work side-by-side with businesses on their digital transformation journeys and can assist in leveraging public and private funding.”

The Hub has engaged with over 200 businesses across the country, implemented over 120 Industry 4.0 needs assessments and activities, and supported the creation of new products and services, by Australians, for Australia and the world. ARM Hub’s first tenants, Verton Pty Ltd, have fast tracked new crane products and services whilst occupying a dedicated space for research and development within the Hub’s Learning Factory.

Now global exporters with new international offices, Verton is deploying the next generation of their remote-controlled crane products in Europe, UK, North America, New Zealand and across Australasia. Verton has evolved from a scale-up to an established commercial business, outgrowing their space at the ARM Hub to take up residence in their own facility. Since then, Verton has substantially increased employment within the business and continue to grow.

“The global growth of our market has reassured us that investing in continued innovation is the right decision,” said Stan Thompson (Founder and Chief Technical Officer, Verton). “The heavy lift industry has increased demand for our products and as Verton grows to accommodate this, means we’re onboarding more staff to accelerate our products.”

Also accessing the ARM Hub advantage are Hub tenants and future project partners, Australian Droid + Robot (ADR). ADR develop, manufacture and deploy remotely operated inspection vehicles for inaccessible and unsafe environments, such as abandoned mine sites, to keep personnel out of harm’s way. During their tenancy, ADR has collaborated with the ARM Hub to engage university expertise to further develop their products, realise their ideas and widen their manufacturing footprint.

“By innovating our existing fleet and advancing new technologies, we have the opportunity to push the bounds of where our products can go,” said Dawid Preller (Chief Technical Officer and Chief Pilot, ADR). “We are constantly working to grow our business and with technology innovations we can enter new markets and make an impact in emergency services and defence operations.”

Throughout the ARM Hub’s first year in operation, the Australian manufacturing industry has continually demonstrated an eagerness to innovate, with more successes in Australian businesses like ADR and Verton, Australia’s manufacturing future is looking bright.

The opportunity for Australian manufacturers to succeed and grow employment opportunities through digital technologies is enormous. Whether it’s data science, robotics, artificial intelligence, or applying mixed realities, companies like Verton and ADR are showing that leveraging the support and expertise available through ARM Hub can grow Australian industry in ways that were previously unimaginable.

About ARM Hub The independent, not-for-profit $18 million ARM Hub is an agile technology application centre for robotics and design-led manufacturing, accelerating industry’s uptake of advanced manufacturing. The ARM Hub draws together skilled teams of scientists, technical specialists, designers, and engineers, to develop commercial, advanced manufacturing solutions. Committed to advanced manufacturing in Australia, the ARM Hub has been funded by industry, the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC), CSIRO, QUT and the Queensland Government. The ARM Hub was born out of a collaborative project involving Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), and UAP (Urban Art Projects) – a design and manufacturing company that specialises in delivering public art and large creative projects.

After securing funding from the IMCRC, UAP and QUT collaborated on a project called Design Robotics. The aim of the project was to “teach robots to see” (enabling a robot to look at an object before fettling or polishing) in order to improve the mass customisation capabilities of robotic manufacture. The project was all about turning a “dumb” robot into a smart robot – one able to make decisions about its assigned tasks.

The response to the Design Robotics project from local industry was incredible, particularly its “open innovation network” component which was designed to showcase the project to other companies. So, the Design Robotics project model was scaled up, resulting in the ARM Hub concept.

The Hub is providing services to small-to-medium and microenterprise manufacturers, helping them become successful advanced manufacturing businesses. The Hub is also collaborating with large companies to help drive digital transformation and support local supply chain development.

Left: Verton demonstration in the ARM Hub’s Northgate Learning Factory.

Below: Andre Preller (Embedded Systems Engineer, Australian Droid + Robot) and Nandi Preller (Public Relations, Australian Droid + Robot) in the ARM Hub’s Northgate Learning Factory.

Further Information

If you’re interested in learning how technology and robotics could help your business advance and innovate, get in touch with ARM Hub on info@ armhub.com.au or visit: armhub.com.au