Mackay pilot opens electronic prototyping opportunities

Local businesses will produce their own printed circuit boards, electronics, and sensors in a shared micro manufacturing facility under a new pilot project in Mackay. The Rapid Prototyping and Micro Manufacturing Collaborative Pilot project seeks to remove a significant gap in the design and manufacture of small-scale electronic products and pave a pathway for scale-up and start-up businesses to grow and diversify. The project, funded by METS Ignited and Mackay Regional Council, is being facilitated by Split Spaces and Resource Industry Network. Technology company Vayeron was the first business to come on board, with co-founder and chief executive officer Ryan Norris saying the project boasted many benefits for local METS businesses. “It means we have a local capability to develop new product designs, prototype and manufacture them; not just for our local market but for our international customers,” he said. The new clean room facility holds a NeoDen pick-and-place machine for circuit board assembly in printed circuit board manufacturing. A robotic placement head picks up electronic surface-mounted technology components and places them on a printed circuit board, then a soldering oven reflow station completes the process. Split Spaces community manager Tegan McBride said the project was a significant milestone for manufacturing capability and diversification of the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday (MIW) region. “The ability for our region to perform high-tech manufacturing, alongside our existing manufacturing sector, shows the potential for our region to service new customers, bigger projects, and boast a more diverse industry base," she said. “The success of the pilot project could also provide a solution to certain supply chain issues experienced by SMEs and start-ups in the past couple of years.” Resource Industry Network general manager Dean Kirkwood said the project was an extension of some of the great work already being undertaken by the organisation’s members. “It reinforces the potential that this type of manufacturing has for the region and provides a ready-to-go platform for other businesses to undertake diversification," he said. “The good news is that there are still places available in the project so if you want to investigate this line of manufacturing for your business, get in contact today." The Rapid Prototyping and Micro Manufacturing Collaborative Pilot is part of the METS Ignited Bowen Basin Cluster Program and interested businesses can contact Split Spaces or Resource Industry Network to learn more.

Mackay pilot opens electronic prototyping opportunities

Industry Queensland

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