Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc., and Neil Waller, Business & Market Development, Felco Manufacturing With over 1.5 billion tonnes of freight crisscrossing the nation annually, the logistics of moving bulk liquids required for the agricultural sector over great distances is complex and challenging. Connecting primary producers with animal feed supplement suppliers through extensive, often degraded and remote transport routes requires robust and reliable equipment. Transporting up to 150 tonnes of dense molasses and derivative animal feed supple ..read more

Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc. Founded in 1978 with a modest investment and unwavering determination, Martin and Krystyna Nikolas embarked on a venture that became a leading force in the composite manufacturing industry. While Martin furthered the company through research, development and innovation in materials and processes, Krystyna’s talents tilted towards management, compliance and financial control ensuring the company operated with rigor and efficiency. The Nikolas family’s involvement in the company now spans generations, with their sons ..read more

Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc. This diverse yet interconnected legacy underlines MaxiTRANS’ significant role in shaping the transport industry’s landscape. Today, MaxiTRANS offers a wide range of heavy-duty trailers, including specialised tautliners, semi-trailers and more, engineered and manufactured for optimal load space and profitability. Maxi-CUBE – a brand within the MaxiTRANS family – was a company created by founding Composites Australia member, Jim Curtis, in the early 1970s when refrigerated freight was emerging in the road logistics in ..read more

Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc. The Bolwell marque is an acknowledged legend in the Australian automobile industry as much for the advanced composites used in its construction, as for its unique design features of its legacy performance-driven classic cars. Initially celebrated for its innovative cars, notably the Nagari sports car – that brothers Campbell and Graeme Bolwell produced from 1962 – Bolwell equally pioneered the production of fibreglass parts and components for heavy transport. he foundation of Bolwell’s success lies in its early reco ..read more

Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc. Australia is a vast country that depends heavily on a comprehensive transportation network to provide access to essential services and economic activities across its entire continent. Our country boasts an extensive road system of 877,651 kilometres (km) and 51,984 km of major roads, making the trucking sector a vital part of this infrastructure. This sector comprises a diverse array of trucks, including light rigid, heavy rigid and articulated vehicles, with a total count of 625,697 units (ABS – fin. yr 2020). The ..read more

Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc. Specifically, at higher speeds, air resistance can cause up to a third of fuel losses in long-haul diesel operations and even more in battery electric trucks, where energy losses might reach 50 per cent. Aerodynamic optimisation, aiming to delay or minimise air flow separation from the truck’s body, becomes crucial. Air flow separation leads to turbulence and a larger wake behind the vehicle, increasing pressure drag significantly. Effective aerodynamic designs reduce this separation, diminishing drag and thus enhan ..read more

Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc. The genesis of the Australian Nosecone operations traces back to the early eighties, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of aerodynamic aftermarket components for trucks. This journey began when Chris Ryman and his father collaborated with Joe Fitzgerald, the U.S. inventor of the Nosecone, to introduce his aerodynamic enhancement to the Australian trucking industry. During this era, prior to the widespread implementation of automated speed camera systems in the late 1980s—with Victoria pioneering the use of sp ..read more

Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc.  As the primary deepwater port located between Perth (with its port in Fremantle) and Port Hedland, Geraldton Port serves the Mid-West region of Western Australia and is a significant hub for the export of minerals, grain and other commodities. Over time, with land gradually reclaimed, the Port has witnessed expansive growth and infrastructure enhancements, aimed at magnifying its capacity to cater to increased vessel demands including tourism. The decision to relocate a manufacturing facility is never taken li ..read more

Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc. Initially intended to develop operational concepts, these boats are expected to be agile enough for littoral missions, robust for distributed operations, and equipped for a range of activities including reconnaissance, tactical movement and logistical support in maritime environments. In the realm of tactical watercraft, TWPG has charted a course of remarkable progression from its first-generation 8.5 metre Whiskey Alpha to its latest offering – a formidable 11.9 metre Whiskey Bravo second-generation craft. The rang ..read more

Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc. Central to this transformation has been the strategic integration of composite materials in workboats and ferries, responding to a clarion call for reduced fuel consumption and minimised greenhouse gas emissions. At the forefront of this innovation is the southern hemisphere’s first fully electric high-speed passenger ferry, Ika Rere, introduced by East by West Ferries and constructed by the Wellington Electric Boat Building Company (WEBBCo) in New Zealand. Demonstrating the leap to electrification and efficiency, t ..read more