Episode 50 -- Ross and Lyn George from Austeng

@AuManufacturing Conversations

In this episode of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we hear from Ross and Lyn George, the Managing Director and Corporate Director respectively at Austeng.
Following episode 49's interview with Jennifer Conley of the Geelong Manufacturing Council, the Georges tell us about their place in the region's reinvention, and their work in helping some of the company's most interesting manufacturing startups realise their potential.
Episode guide
0:30 – Introduction and the company’s engineering heritage.

1:15 – Lyn joins the business, and the pluses and minuses of running a SME manufacturing business.

2:45 – Moving from a supplier to larger manufacturing companies in automotive and elsewhere to startups.

5:55 – A highly efficient waste heat-to-electrical energy engine.

7:02 – Bending corrugated iron at precise angles.

8:18 – Upcycling plastic and rubber into a new composite material.

10:30 – Glass-fibre-reinforced geopolymer, a locally-developed alternative to concrete.

12:30 – The cemetery and crematorium industry. “...Certainly in the downturn, when auto left, that was the sector that actually sort of did keep our business alive for a while, while we transitioned the other part of our business.

13:35 – New projects in hydrogen cremators, the onsite demonstrator, and addressing potential business risks for customers. “On an existing gas burner without modification we can inject up to 40 per cent hydrogen.”

16:12 – The place of Deakin University in Geelong’s manufacturing ecosystem.

18:20 – The Geelong Manufacturing Council’s 25th anniversary and its role in the community.

20:50 – What has moved the company towards environmental technology projects over the years. “Certainly, that’s where our young people here, our young engineers and tradesmen have got their eye on… They’ve got a whole career in fixing the problems that we’ve created in the last 150 years.”

22:42 – The issue of local procurement, as a driver of innovation and as something that needs adjustment to support manufacturers in general.

25:30 – The skills issue, and the need to inspire students at the high school level.
Relevant links
Austeng's website
https://austeng.net.au

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