WA’s Advanced Manufacturing Hub in Collaboration
SQP Engineering opens its doors to showcase WA’s integrated manufacturing model
Western Australia’s advanced manufacturing capability was on full display on Thursday 19 February, when 140 industry professionals gathered at SQP Engineering’s facility in Bibra Lake for an afternoon open house, following a CEO breakfast earlier in the day attended by 26 senior leaders.
The event was a demonstration of SQP’s fully integrated production environment – where CNC machining, additive manufacturing, robotic automation, production planning software and cyber-secure IT infrastructure operate together as a single manufacturing system.
Hosted by SQP Engineering owner and director David Miller, the afternoon centred on a clear message: service, quality and product – in that order.
“If you haven’t got good quality of service, you can’t have a good quality of product,” David told attendees.
For David, service is the foundation. Quality follows. Product performance is the outcome. But in practical terms, he said, that philosophy must translate into responsiveness. When customers want parts in two weeks rather than seven or eight, machines, metrology, programming, people and planning systems must function in sync.
That integration is already embedded at SQP.
Additive Manufacturing as Digital Capability
A key feature of the open house was SQP’s investment in Markforged additive manufacturing systems. Richard Elving, Vice President of Sales and Managing Director APAC/APJC at Markforged, positioned additive as complementary to CNC – not a replacement.
“We’re moving from a physical universe to a digital universe,” Richard explained to delegates at the event.
He described how manufacturers can maintain digital inventories of components and produce them at the point of need, rather than holding physical stock. From defence applications to reverse-engineered industrial spares, additive manufacturing enables parts to be produced locally, quickly and on demand.
At SQP, the Markforged systems are production assets. Continuous carbon fibre composite parts with aluminium-like strength sit alongside stainless steel and copper components printed on the same platform. The focus is on jigs, fixtures, tooling and low-volume end-use parts – particularly those requiring rapid turnaround.
Hudson Miller, additive manufacturing specialist at SQP Engineering, works directly with the additive systems. “It’s so user friendly,” Hudson said, noting the reinforcement properties of continuous carbon fibre and the reliability of overnight builds.
The additive capability forms part of what SQP describes as one of the largest Markforged fleets in the Southern Hemisphere, including FX20 composite systems and Metal X platforms.
CNC and Robotics Working 24/7
Additive sits alongside a substantial CNC footprint, including multi-axis Okuma machining centres integrated with robotic loading cells supplied by Automated Solutions Australia (ASA).
Karl Corry, sales, applications & technology manager at Okuma Australia Pty Ltd, praised Western Australia’s innovation culture.
“Innovation that’s taking place here in Western Australia has been first class,” Karl said, noting that developments seen locally often influence global practices.
Automation has been central to SQP’s growth. Pat Green, director of Automated Solutions Australia, detailed a long-standing partnership that has delivered five robotic systems to site since 2014.
“What the robots do here is pretty simple – they’re picking up bits and putting them into a machine,” Pat said. “But what that enables is lights-out production and better utilisation.”
Robotic tending allows SQP to run cells 24/7, reduce manual handling risk and shorten lead times – reinforcing the service commitments David outlined at the outset.
Planning and Capacity Transparency
Behind the machines is a digital planning layer. Jon Scheele, principal consultant at Qmani, demonstrated how SQP uses Infoboard production scheduling software to manage workflow and capacity.
“SQP doesn’t give out a quote unless they’ve looked at their planning board,” Jon explained.
The system provides real-time visibility of machine loads and staff availability, allowing jobs to be moved and reprioritised when conditions change. In an environment defined by labour constraints and supply chain variability, that transparency underpins SQP’s 48-hour quoting service level commitment.
Cyber Security as Manufacturing Infrastructure
With increasing automation and connectivity comes risk. Jesse Gane, general manager of Adisyn, addressed the IT and cyber security layer supporting SQP’s operation.
“A breach on your IT cyber front can also impact your operational technology,” Jesse warned.
Over the past 12 months, Adisyn has re-architected SQP’s network infrastructure to handle growing data loads from CNC machines, robots and additive systems while mitigating cyber risk. In a modern workshop, IT and operational technology are inseparable; network resilience is production resilience.
More Than a Demonstration
The strong turnout at the open house reflected more than curiosity. It signalled recognition that advanced manufacturing in Western Australia is evolving beyond isolated investments in machines.
SQP’s facility brings together precision multi-axis machining, large-format composite and metal 3D printing, lights-out robotic automation and ISO 9001-certified metrology under one roof. It services mining, oil and gas, marine, defence, agriculture and broader industrial sectors, with an emphasis on tight tolerances and fast turnaround.
The open house showed how those capabilities function collectively.
Rather than viewing neighbouring workshops as competitors, several speakers emphasised collaboration and reshoring – strengthening local manufacturing capability in the face of global supply chain volatility.
For SQP, Industry 4.0 is not branding. It is infrastructure. The technologies demonstrated on the night are already embedded in production, supporting a WA-based workforce and delivering components to critical industries.
The message from Henderson was clear: advanced manufacturing in Western Australia is not aspirational. It is operational – and increasingly integrated.
David Miller, owner and director of SQP Engineering, addressing guests during the open house, outlining the company’s service-first philosophy and integrated Industry 4.0 manufacturing model.
Richard Elving, Vice President of Sales and Managing Director APAC/APJC at Markforged, presenting SQP’s additive manufacturing capabilities and the shift toward digital inventory and on-demand production.
Hudson Miller, additive manufacturing specialist at SQP engineering, addressing attendees during the open house and sharing his experience working with the company’s additive manufacturing systems.
Jon Scheele, principal consultant at Qmani, speaking to attendees about digital production scheduling and how SQP uses Infoboard software to align quoting with real-time capacity.
Karl Corry, sales, applications & technology manager at Okuma Australia Pty Ltd, addressing guests and discussing the role of advanced CNC technology in SQP’s automated manufacturing environment.
Pat Green, director of Automated Solutions Australia, speaking about SQP’s robotic automation cells and the evolution of lights-out manufacturing within the workshop.
More than 140 industry professionals gathered at SQP Engineering’s Henderson facility for the open house, showcasing the company’s integrated Industry 4.0 manufacturing model — combining CNC machining, additive manufacturing, robotic automation and digital production systems in a live production environment.
David Miller, owner and director of SQP Engineering, explaining the company’s integrated robotic and CNC capabilities to guests during the open house, highlighting how automation supports 24/7 production and improved lead times.
SQP Engineering team members reviewing CNC machine programming during the open house, demonstrating the company’s hands-on approach to precision machining and digital production control.
Robotic loading cell in operation at SQP Engineering, demonstrating automated machine tending and lights-out production capability during the open house tour.
Precision-machined sub-assembly produced by SQP Engineering, showcasing the company’s multi-axis CNC capability and tight-tolerance finishing for heavy industrial applications.
High-precision machined component produced by SQP Engineering, demonstrating tight tolerances, clean surface finishes and complex multi-axis CNC capability for demanding industrial applications.
David Miller, owner and director of SQP Engineering, with his wife Heidi at the entrance to SQP’s Metrology & Additive Manufacturing Room during the open house event.
