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Conference Program


Click here to download the Conference Program PDF

Please note: This is program is subject to change.


Wednesday, October 7, 2026

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM AFI National Council Meeting
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM AFI National Council Meeting

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM AFI National Council Meeting

Thursday, October 8, 2026

7:30 AM - 1:30 PM Foundry Tour – G.James & Cheras Aluminium Casting
Please in the Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise hotel lobby by 7:30am to collect your name badge and board the coach. The coach will depart promptly at 7:45am. Site tour will run from 10:00am - 1:30pm. Lunch provided.
4:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Free night
7:30 AM - 1:30 PM Foundry Tour – G.James & Cheras Aluminium Casting
Please in the Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise hotel lobby by 7:30am to collect your name badge and board the coach. The coach will depart promptly at 7:45am. Site tour will run from 10:00am - 1:30pm. Lunch provided.
4:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Free night

7:30 AM - 1:30 PM Foundry Tour – G.James & Cheras Aluminium Casting
Please in the Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise hotel lobby by 7:30am to collect your name badge and board the coach. The coach will depart promptly at 7:45am. Site tour will run from 10:00am - 1:30pm. Lunch provided.
4:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Free night

Friday, October 9, 2026

7:30 AM - 4:30 PM Registration and information desk open | Friday
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Day one: President's welcome and program overview
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Keynote Speaker: Andrew Turner – Situation and Challenges
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Matt Schimke - Bosch Power Tools - High frequency solutions
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Morning tea | Friday
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Sundresh Dhanaraj - Intelomelt: A smart foundry platform for autonomous charge optimisation
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Matthew Dunford - White Industries' 3D printing journey
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM Jan Eilers - Digital casting process development – optimizing quality and economics of a rear axle shaft housing
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Lunch | Friday
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM Glen Thiele - Traceability of spectrometer chemical analysis
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Mickaël Dernoncourt - Using advanced manufacturing to recreate a classic engine block
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM Clive Moore - Reliability and resilience in the metal casting industry
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Lawrence Mashavave and Chris Buck - Benefits of the Adiabatic Cooling System
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon Tea | Friday
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Andy Pickering - Sand reclamation techniques exploring our options to minimize waste and save energy
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM President's Reception
Theme/dress code: Tropical beach party. Bring out your brightest tropical shirts, colourful dresses and favourite resort wear for a relaxed evening by the pool.
7:30 AM - 4:30 PM Registration and information desk open | Friday
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Day one: President's welcome and program overview
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Keynote Speaker: Andrew Turner – Situation and Challenges
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Matt Schimke - Bosch Power Tools - High frequency solutions
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Morning tea | Friday
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Sundresh Dhanaraj - Intelomelt: A smart foundry platform for autonomous charge optimisation
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Matthew Dunford - White Industries' 3D printing journey
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM Jan Eilers - Digital casting process development – optimizing quality and economics of a rear axle shaft housing
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Lunch | Friday
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM Glen Thiele - Traceability of spectrometer chemical analysis
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Mickaël Dernoncourt - Using advanced manufacturing to recreate a classic engine block
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM Clive Moore - Reliability and resilience in the metal casting industry
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Lawrence Mashavave and Chris Buck - Benefits of the Adiabatic Cooling System
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon Tea | Friday
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Andy Pickering - Sand reclamation techniques exploring our options to minimize waste and save energy
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM President's Reception
Theme/dress code: Tropical beach party. Bring out your brightest tropical shirts, colourful dresses and favourite resort wear for a relaxed evening by the pool.

7:30 AM - 4:30 PM Registration and information desk open | Friday
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Day one: President's welcome and program overview
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Keynote Speaker: Andrew Turner – Situation and Challenges
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Matt Schimke - Bosch Power Tools - High frequency solutions
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Morning tea | Friday
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Sundresh Dhanaraj - Intelomelt: A smart foundry platform for autonomous charge optimisation
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Matthew Dunford - White Industries' 3D printing journey
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM Jan Eilers - Digital casting process development – optimizing quality and economics of a rear axle shaft housing
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Lunch | Friday
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM Glen Thiele - Traceability of spectrometer chemical analysis
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Mickaël Dernoncourt - Using advanced manufacturing to recreate a classic engine block
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM Clive Moore - Reliability and resilience in the metal casting industry
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Lawrence Mashavave and Chris Buck - Benefits of the Adiabatic Cooling System
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon Tea | Friday
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Andy Pickering - Sand reclamation techniques exploring our options to minimize waste and save energy
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM President's Reception
Theme/dress code: Tropical beach party. Bring out your brightest tropical shirts, colourful dresses and favourite resort wear for a relaxed evening by the pool.

Saturday, October 10, 2026

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Registration and information desk open | Saturday
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Day two: President's welcome and program overview
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Keynote Speaker: Andy Pickering – 40 Years in Foundry Industry
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Peter Gandy – The installation and optimisation of an Induction Furnace Casting system in the development of next generation metal coatings at Bluescope Innovation Laboratories
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Morning tea | Saturday
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Charlie Anderson - Large format resin 3D printing for foundry pattern production
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Panel discussion: Attracting and retaining apprentices
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Lunch | Saturday
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM Andrew Johnstone – Commodity metal pricing and supply trends1330
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Alan Cooke – Industry update
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM Brett Lawrence – Metal Casting Australia + AGM
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Conference close
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon tea | Saturday
6:30 PM - 11:30 PM Conference dinner
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Registration and information desk open | Saturday
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Day two: President's welcome and program overview
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Keynote Speaker: Andy Pickering – 40 Years in Foundry Industry
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Peter Gandy – The installation and optimisation of an Induction Furnace Casting system in the development of next generation metal coatings at Bluescope Innovation Laboratories
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Morning tea | Saturday
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Charlie Anderson - Large format resin 3D printing for foundry pattern production
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Panel discussion: Attracting and retaining apprentices
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Lunch | Saturday
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM Andrew Johnstone – Commodity metal pricing and supply trends1330
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Alan Cooke – Industry update
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM Brett Lawrence – Metal Casting Australia + AGM
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Conference close
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon tea | Saturday
6:30 PM - 11:30 PM Conference dinner

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Registration and information desk open | Saturday
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Day two: President's welcome and program overview
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Keynote Speaker: Andy Pickering – 40 Years in Foundry Industry
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Peter Gandy – The installation and optimisation of an Induction Furnace Casting system in the development of next generation metal coatings at Bluescope Innovation Laboratories
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Morning tea | Saturday
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Charlie Anderson - Large format resin 3D printing for foundry pattern production
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Panel discussion: Attracting and retaining apprentices
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Lunch | Saturday
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM Andrew Johnstone – Commodity metal pricing and supply trends1330
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Alan Cooke – Industry update
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM Brett Lawrence – Metal Casting Australia + AGM
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Conference close
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Afternoon tea | Saturday
6:30 PM - 11:30 PM Conference dinner

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