Leighton's basic objectives were about to be realised. A peacetime munitions supply establishment, based on government support could develop expertise and disseminate its knowledge to industry in wartime.[17] Some modernisation of government ordnance, ammunition and small arms factories had been taking place, albeit at a fairly leisurely pace since the mid-1930s when the first inklings of European and Asian tensions were exhibited. A notable advance was the establishment of forging of gun barrels at the Ordnance Factory at Maribyrnong.

The need for scientific support for the modernising process was accepted and personnel of the Munitions Supply Laboratories of the Department of Supply and Development structured a programme of investigations to prepare themselves for adopting modern munitions production processes and materials.[18] It was taken for granted that Australia would support Great Britain in any future war and would, therefore, equip its forces with arms and equipment compatible with those of the Mother Country. Australian defence scientists had maintained contact with their British counterparts as Leighton had encouraged twenty years earlier; at the outbreak of the First World War much valuable information about materials specifications and limits of acceptability of composition was brought back to Australia. The uneventful opening phase of the War allowed the industry build-up process to take place without excessive demands for productive output, but the collapse of the Allies in Europe in 1940 changed this. It became necessary for Australia to equip its own forces without any prospect of support from Britain.

Guns were a major requirement and contracts for 25 pounder field guns and 2 pounder anti-tank guns were placed with General Motors (Holdens) factories in South Australia and New South Wales. Complete working drawings were not always available and these had to be prepared from specimens held by the Army. Lightly armoured tracked Bren-gun carriers were produced in railway workshops, with engines and tracks manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. Suitable weldable armour plate had to be developed ab initio by the Broken Hill Proprietary Company.

A desperate shortage of machine tools was soon apparent. A Directorate of Machine Tools and Gauges commissioned industry to address the task of designing and developing products for which little previous experience existed. The need for accurate measurement techniques and their application to production had been foreseen by the Munitions Supply Board, which had already established a Metrology Section at Maribyrnong. The technology of gauge design and manufacture had to be transmitted to industry, which at the time was quite inexperienced in such matters.

Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering