Ignite Digi, a highly specialised Tasmanian precision manufacturing company is today a leading supplier of hi-tech camera and gimbal accessories to many of the top film and TV studios, commercial and online production houses of the world.
Based in Hobart, Ignite Digi was established in 2013 by Cinematographer Tom Waugh and Aeronautical Engineer/ Gimbal Operator Chris Fox. Their combined experience and technical expertise in the total design, development and manufacture of the range of accessories has proven to provide an outstanding market advantage on the world stage.
Highly respected for their innovative inventions in camera support systems for camera setups to enhance footage and productivity on set and recognised for the precision and on-time delivery, the company export sales now exceed 95% of their production. Their intimate knowledge of in-studio cinematography and UAV’s (drones) which today play a major role in the production of TV commercials and films has been instrumental in the development of simple, innovative and precision made time saving accessories for camera studio setups and UAV filming.
"With significant investment in two 10-Pallet Horizontal CNC machining centres Model MB4000H each with OSP-P300MA Control which run un-manned virtually 24/7 plus the latest precision Okuma CNC Vertical Model Genos M560-Ve, it has enabled the company to be highly competitive and to cater for small batch size production runs. With total design, development and manufacture in house now including a new electronics division, the company is able to move quickly to meet the needs of customers throughout the world including USA, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and further afield. This total in-house design to manufacture allows the company to move much faster with significantly improved costs,” said Chris Fox, Managing Director, Ignite Digi.
With just nine employees in this precision manufacturing operation, the bulk of the output from the Okuma machining centres are camera support parts, gimbal mounts and components.
The total focus is on precision where Okuma machining centres play a critical part and complementing this is Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) technology. To meet the future demands of their expanding customer base Ignite Digi is well advanced in its quality system towards ISO accreditation with the introduction of ERP systems tracking work flow to support volume production.
The company remains at the forefront of advanced manufacturing in Tasmania with the latest manufacturing capabilities in the state and recently hosted a delegation from the Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council (TMEC) whose mission is to ‘promote a globally competitive minerals, manufacturing and energy sector to enable sustainable operations in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.’
“The skills and dedication of this small team at Ignite Digi is exceptional and has undoubtedly led to its success internationally in a high technology business sector. Okuma is proud to have been part of this success as we work together to advance engineering capabilities of Australian and Tasmanian companies,” said Okuma Australia’s Managing Director, Dean McCarroll.
