MEX Engineering Group‘s recent Open Day offered a rare chance to connect with experts in 3D printing technology, AI in manufacturing, 3D Scanning and safety barriers. The event was an intimate setting where real conversations sparked ideas for collaboration in manufacturing and investment in manufacturing projects. If you’re curious about how Australian manufacturing readiness is shaping manufacturing, this Open Day summary will give you fresh insights and practical takeaways.
What Made This Open Day Special?
When Shane and Leanne rocked up to MEX Engineering Group’s Future Tech Open Day at 9am, they weren’t quite sure what to expect.
It was intimate, personalised, and packed with genuine experts who were keen to chat. From 10am to 1pm, we got to have real conversations instead of just collecting business cards and moving on. You know how some events feel like you’re just another face in the crowd? This was the complete opposite.
Why MEX Engineering Group Hosted This Event
Here’s the thing: MEX is a family-owned business, just like ours at Wysi. They organised this Open Day to encourage small-business experts to share their knowledge and achievements. To not only celebrate each other, but also to understand the importance of each person’s speciality in an evolving industry and most importantly, to ensure no one gets left behind.
The open day was for “Small businesses collaborating to increase the size of the pie rather than competing for a bigger slice. This way, everyone benefits exponentially. A gathering of experts whom practice what they preach.” Shane summarised. Well said, I think.
So what better way to respond than by bringing together people who actually know their stuff? The goal was simple: meet new faces in manufacturing, learn about cutting-edge tech, and foster genuine collaboration. Plus, our finance contacts were there too, because let’s be honest, money can be a massive barrier to getting projects off the ground.
The Manufacturing Tech That Got Us Talking
Russell King, MEX’s CEO and Founder, kicked things off with the MEX culture, that of right people, by introducing the speakers, and mate, the lineup was brilliant:
Alfex showed off their 3D printing technology capabilities (MEX’s supplier, so we got the inside scoop!)
Wysi (that’s us!) presented on 3D scanning. Shane brought along different scanners and walked everyone through how different jobs need different tools. We shared a processing plant case study and talked about scanning broken parts to create files for 3D printing. The Q&A session afterwards was gold! Everyone enjoyed passing around a part, scanned by Wysi, and 3D printed by MEX – truly displaying the values we wanted to foster. 💡
The Barrier Group covered safety barriers, which is crucial stuff for any manufacturing setup.
Factory AI blew everyone’s minds with AI in manufacturing. Instead of waiting for machines to break down or doing maintenance based on a calendar, their tech predicts when parts will actually wear out. Proactive beats reactive every time, right?
The Connections That Count
Shane got to finally meet Russell face-to-face after only speaking on the phone, which was ace. He also introduced Marian (our finance expert) to folks who either need investment in manufacturing projects or help securing finance. We Most people there were new contacts, though a few existing clients showed up too. It was lovely to see a few individuals from large organisations such as the Australian Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF).
Our Takeaway
We packed up around 1pm and were back at the office by 2pm. Short but not too short, you know? Perfect length for an Open Day summary without losing a whole day. The setup with tables and banners looked professional, and the conversations we had will definitely lead somewhere.
If you’re in manufacturing and haven’t connected with MEX Engineering Group yet, you’re missing out on some seriously good people who get what small Aussie businesses are up against.
Want to chat about what we learned or how 3D scanning could work for your projects? Drop us a line!
