Archived News for Engineering Professionals

Devices which have a very short shelf life and break on purpose may not seem like the best idea, but a team of researchers at the University of Illinois say the materials they are working on could change the way we manufacture and consume goods.

Toll both building and bargaining

Construction has begun on transport and logistics group Toll’s new $24 million hub in Hobart, while the company threatens thousands of employees planning a strike.

Huawei hits back

Chinese telecommunications group Huawei has again defended its business practices in the face of its ban from contracts for the National Broadband Network.

Dice rolled on private airport

A daring Queensland entrepreneur has moved crews to a 24/7 digging schedule to prepare the site of a new commercial airport near Toowoomba.

New bot on the block

The US Government has debuted its newest humanoid robot, the futuristic droid is so advanced it makes R2-D2 look like a pencil sharpener.

Robo-engineers taken to task

A prominent American engineer toured Australia recently in the lead up to an international robotics competition in Melbourne.

Test success for 3D-printed rocket nozzle

NASA is employing new age engineering technologies to drastically cut down its development and manufacturing time and costs.

Troubling waters bridged in QLD

An important bridge-building project in Queensland has wrapped up a year earlier than planned, with work completed on the Sir Thomas Mitchell Bridge over the Maranoa River.

State funds for Future Designers

Victorian TAFEs, universities and private training facilities can sign up for a $15,000 federal grant, provided to help companies solve current business challenges using the design-led thinking.

Super crystals key to data future

A new data-storage technique could see thousands of terabytes encoded on crystals which do not degrade.

Surveyor shortage seems insolvable

The Australian construction industry may be facing a critical shortage of surveyors, with skilled workers retiring at a faster rate than new ones are being trained.

Insiders fear auto collapse

An automotive manufacture workers’ union says a raft of job losses in the car industry could trigger a domino effect around the country.

Engineers join call to scrap learning cap

Engineers Australia has joined a growing group of professional bodies in opposition to the government’s proposal to cap tax deductions on work-related education expenses to $2,000.

Grover goes the distance in Greenland

NASA’s new polar rover has been taken for a test spin on the icy tundra of Greenland. The robot performed admirably in one of the Earth’s toughest climates.

Novel network for geoscience nationwide

A supercomputer and a cloud of files will form the backbone of a national integrated geoscience data network to be launched soon.

Tassie teens get a taste of tech careers

Some major engineering companies have put on an event in Tasmania to get high-schoolers excited about a future in engineering.

China mobile pushes peak services

Climbers at the summit of Mt Everest will not have to wait as long to download their attachments, with China Mobile upgrading coverage on the mountain to 4G.

Contract to keep Victorian fires burning

An Australian engineering firm has been awarded the contract for upgrades and maintenance on one of Victoria’s prime power plants.

Cops show plastic victim of internet arms race

A national police conference has heard anyone could be in the firing line of home-made 3D-printed guns sourced online.

Iron-clad commitment to new WA mine

Atlas Iron will get digging on a new iron ore project; the company’s board of directors has given the green-light to a $146 million project in Western Australia.

Ore sorting simplified with sensors

A new technology is being trialled to improve the efficiency and ore output of mines, using atomic sensors to detect and separate valuable substances from the ore than surrounds them.