What's New in Process Technology

Registrations are now open for the APPEX 2027 processing and packaging exhibition, returning to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 16 to 19 March 2027. Held every three years, APPEX brings together the latest in automation technologies, equipment and machinery, industry expertise and ideas shaping the future of the processing and packaging ecosystem.

Australian counter-drone and electronic warfare manufacturer DroneShield has announced the official opening of its R&D facility in Adelaide, further expanding the company’s Australian research and development footprint and reinforcing its commitment to South Australia’s growing defence and technology sector.

Hitachi Energy has announced it has successfully delivered six giant 500 kV shunt reactors for Transgrid’s HumeLink project, marking a major milestone in the critical transmission project. A shunt reactor is a large absorber of reactive power that improves the efficiency, stability and reliability of long electricity transmission lines. The HumeLink shunt reactors each weigh more than 120 tonnes and are some of the first three-phase 500 kV reactors used in Australia.

Accurate and reliable pH measurement plays an important role in process control, helping manufacturers maintain product consistency, optimise production and reduce process variation. In hygienic processing applications, instrumentation must also withstand high temperatures, rigorous clean-in-place (CIP) cycles and continuous operation.

Perdaman Chemicals & Fertilisers has received delivery of all 110 modules for Project CERES from Indian engineering and manufacturing company Larsen & Toubro (L&T). According to L&T, the 47 pre-assembled modules and 63 pre-assembled racks weighed approximately 64,000 metric tonnes in total and were shipped from India to Karratha across 23 marine shipments in fully tested, pre-commissioned and ready-to-install condition.

The Electro-Chemical Devices (ECD) Model X80 hazardous location transmitter is designed to deliver continuous analytical measurement in explosion-proof and Ex d hazardous environments. Built around the capabilities of ECD’s T80 universal transmitter platform, the X80 supports single- or dual-channel measurement of pH, ORP, pION, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, conductivity and resistivity.

OT cybersecurity company Dragos has announced it has officially acquired NetRise and runZero. The acquisitions follow the close of Accenture’s majority investment in Dragos, which is providing the capital to accelerate the company’s growth. Earlier this year, Dragos acquired Phosphorus to help protect connected devices embedded across critical infrastructure and other operational networks.

Monday, 21 September, 2026 Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has announced the completion of construction and startup of its second-generation graphene manufacturing plant, which is expected to produce 10 tonnes of graphene per annum once remaining works are completed and the plant is optimised.

Hysata is set to receive up to $49 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to support the establishment of a commercial-scale electrolyser manufacturing line at Port Kembla in New South Wales. The $98 million project will establish a 50 MW per annum manufacturing line for Hysata’s Australian-developed capillary-fed electrolyser technology, with the facility designed to scale to 200 MW per annum through 24-hour operations as demand grows.

Schneider Friday, 18 September, 2026 Advanced manufacturing at Gepps Cross, South Australia, will receive a $2.5 million investment to double local air and moulded case circuit breaker production capacity. The investment will help Schneider Electric establish a new smart circuit breaker production line at its Gepps Cross manufacturing site, expanding a capability currently operating from its Local Adaptation Centre in Ingleburn, Sydney.