Vayeron seeks Mackay collaborator to bridge METS sector gap

A new pilot project is seeking to bridge a gap in the design and manufacture of small-scale electronic products and highlight potential collaborators for a Queensland entrepreneur creating crucial technology.

A new pilot project for Mackay Isaac Whitsunday is seeking to bridge a gap in the design and manufacture of small-scale electronic products.

The Rapid Prototyping and Micro Manufacturing Collaborative Pilot project will also create a pathway for scale-up and start-up businesses to grow and diversify, as well as highlighting potential collaborators for a Queensland entrepreneur creating crucial technology here in Mackay.

The Rapid Prototyping and Micro Manufacturing Collaborative Pilot project will allow businesses to design and produce their own printed circuit boards, electronics, and sensors in a shared micro manufacturing facility in Mackay’s city centre.

The pilot project at Split Spaces run jointly with Resource Industry Network will allow local businesses to design and produce their own printed circuit boards, electronics, and sensors in a shared micro manufacturing facility.

There are also hopes of finding partners to unite with leading industrial IoT company Vayeron, the first innovator in residence at the Resources Centre of Excellence, to measure if it is viable to have a common micro manufacturing facility for the region.

Vayeron is researching sensors on conveyor systems to better predict the failures that regularly threaten the profitability of mines and ports.

Resources Centre of Excellence CEO Steven Boxall (left) stands with Vayeron engineer and entrepreneur Ryan Norris, the first innovator in residence, by the replica conveyor system. Picture: Duncan Evans

The globally focused tech company was the first to come on board the project and Vayeron’s co-founder and chief executive officer Ryan Norris said it had many benefits for the region’s MET 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 at Split Spaces has a NeoDen pick-and-place machine for circuit board assembly in printed circuit board manufacturing.

“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,” Split Spaces community manager Tegan McBride said.

Resource Industry Network general manager Dean Kirkwood said the project “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”.

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson said the Rapid Prototyping and Micro Manufacturing Regional Collaboration Pilot Project was “a real collaboration between industry, government and business” in providing an opportunity to prototype, trial, and manufacture in the region.