Multifunctional Three-Dimensional Non-Crimp Fibre Preforms for Polymer Composites: Innovative High-Value Products for the Australian Textiles Industry. This project aims to develop a new three-dimensional (3D) weaving technology for fabricating multi-functional fabrics for advanced fibre-reinforced composites. 3D woven fabrics with low fibre waviness for high structural performance, integrally woven optical fibre sensors for loads monitoring and damage detection, and woven thermoplastic filament ....Multifunctional Three-Dimensional Non-Crimp Fibre Preforms for Polymer Composites: Innovative High-Value Products for the Australian Textiles Industry. This project aims to develop a new three-dimensional (3D) weaving technology for fabricating multi-functional fabrics for advanced fibre-reinforced composites. 3D woven fabrics with low fibre waviness for high structural performance, integrally woven optical fibre sensors for loads monitoring and damage detection, and woven thermoplastic filaments for self-healing aim to meet the emerging demands of industry for light-weight high-performance composites. This new technology aims to deliver to the Australian textiles and clothing industry a new capability in manufacturing carbon-fibre based fabrics as reinforcements in advanced composites, thus helping reinvigorate and realign an important Australian industry sector.Read moreRead less
Tough bio-derived and biodegradable wood plastic composites. This project aims for the development of tough bio-based and biodegradable wood plastic composites (WPCs), directly addressing a key end-user demand that performance of bio-WPCs must be at least comparable with existing commercial WPCs. The project expects to generate key innovations such as developing a new, high performance, bio-based and biodegradable WPC by incorporating native spinifex-derived nano-cellulose fibres, ensuring excel ....Tough bio-derived and biodegradable wood plastic composites. This project aims for the development of tough bio-based and biodegradable wood plastic composites (WPCs), directly addressing a key end-user demand that performance of bio-WPCs must be at least comparable with existing commercial WPCs. The project expects to generate key innovations such as developing a new, high performance, bio-based and biodegradable WPC by incorporating native spinifex-derived nano-cellulose fibres, ensuring excellent, molecular-level dispersion with a novel low-cost and energy-efficient wet-mix technology. This will provide significant benefits as it will lead to new products and markets for the Australian forestry industry and for rural and indigenous Australia, maximising Australia’s competitive advantage in biomass-derived products.Read moreRead less
Gas metal arc welding process monitoring with acoustic sensing. This project aims to investigate the physical mechanisms of Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) sound generation, and establish an acoustic model that correlates the acoustic signal with other wielding parameters. Key acoustic features and identification algorithms for process monitoring will be explored, and a prototype GMAW process monitoring system developed. GMAW is an arc welding process that is widely used in industry and well suited ....Gas metal arc welding process monitoring with acoustic sensing. This project aims to investigate the physical mechanisms of Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) sound generation, and establish an acoustic model that correlates the acoustic signal with other wielding parameters. Key acoustic features and identification algorithms for process monitoring will be explored, and a prototype GMAW process monitoring system developed. GMAW is an arc welding process that is widely used in industry and well suited to automatic welding. The proposed monitoring method is an urgent need identified by industries for improving process control and quality. Auditory cues have been found to be critical for expert welders to adjust the weld process and to maintain quality, but the mechanisms underpinning the process are not well understood. The project will provide significant benefit to the Australian manufacturing industry’s productivity and innovation.Read moreRead less
Innovation for anchorage wedge manufacturing. The consumption of tendon anchorage wedges worldwide is in the billions every year, but their manufacturing process is inadequate. The revolutionary technology to be developed by this proposed research will enable the manufacturers to achieve a cost-effective eco-fabrication with minimal material and energy wastages.
Damage Tolerance Approach in Designing and Maintaining Truck Trailers. This project aims to develop a damage tolerance approach in designing and maintaining truck trailers. Combined with field test and computational simulation, machine learning will be used to generate loading spectrums. Following the damage tolerance philosophy, a mature approach in aerospace industry, the fatigue crack growth and the fatigue life will be predicted. In addition, structural optimisation will be applied in traile ....Damage Tolerance Approach in Designing and Maintaining Truck Trailers. This project aims to develop a damage tolerance approach in designing and maintaining truck trailers. Combined with field test and computational simulation, machine learning will be used to generate loading spectrums. Following the damage tolerance philosophy, a mature approach in aerospace industry, the fatigue crack growth and the fatigue life will be predicted. In addition, structural optimisation will be applied in trailer design. This project expects to revolutionize the design and maintenance practices in Australian truck trailer industry. It should provide significant benefits, such as prolonging the life cycle of truck trailers, reducing the tare weight and increasing operating profit, to both trailer producers and users.Read moreRead less
Exploration of lead free ferroelectric crystals for transducer applications. This project aims to investigate lead free crystals, which are expected to possess high piezoelectric properties for medical imaging and underwater acoustics, as an alternative to toxic lead-based ferroelectrics which have been dominantly used in ultrasound transducers. The project will have significant impact on development of new lead-free ferroelectric crystals with desirable properties. This will benefit Australian ....Exploration of lead free ferroelectric crystals for transducer applications. This project aims to investigate lead free crystals, which are expected to possess high piezoelectric properties for medical imaging and underwater acoustics, as an alternative to toxic lead-based ferroelectrics which have been dominantly used in ultrasound transducers. The project will have significant impact on development of new lead-free ferroelectric crystals with desirable properties. This will benefit Australian industry by providing knowledge and technology of crystal growth, enabling advanced ultrasound transducers for medical imaging and underwater acoustic applications.Read moreRead less
Breakthrough technologies in implantable bionics. This project aims to introduce revolutionary changes in implantable bionics via miniaturisation, automation and improved reliability and generating new knowledge by leveraging recent advances in laser processes. Expected outcomes include innovative hybrid thin-film/thick-film electrode arrays with more channels and charge-carrying capacity for neuromodulation; novel glass interfaces that facilitate deeply-miniaturised hermetic packages; and failu ....Breakthrough technologies in implantable bionics. This project aims to introduce revolutionary changes in implantable bionics via miniaturisation, automation and improved reliability and generating new knowledge by leveraging recent advances in laser processes. Expected outcomes include innovative hybrid thin-film/thick-film electrode arrays with more channels and charge-carrying capacity for neuromodulation; novel glass interfaces that facilitate deeply-miniaturised hermetic packages; and failure analysis to ensure study aims result in new processes that are as or more reliable than the current state-of-the-art. This work will create new and novel manufacturing processes, and trains the next generation of innovators equipped with the tools to advance implantable bionics into the future.Read moreRead less
AM of MAX Phase parts for applications in extreme environments. This project aims to develop techniques to synthesize MAX Phase compound materials in-situ using laser additive manufacturing. The project expects to increase jet engine fuel efficiency and thrust, and to fabricate longer-lasting parts for supersonic speed applications. The expected outcomes include well-developed additive manufacturing processes to make high performance engineering components with shape complexity for extreme envir ....AM of MAX Phase parts for applications in extreme environments. This project aims to develop techniques to synthesize MAX Phase compound materials in-situ using laser additive manufacturing. The project expects to increase jet engine fuel efficiency and thrust, and to fabricate longer-lasting parts for supersonic speed applications. The expected outcomes include well-developed additive manufacturing processes to make high performance engineering components with shape complexity for extreme environment applications, and new methods to increase the 3D printability of brittle materials. This should provide significant benefits to aerospace and defense industries through solving their long standing bottleneck material and processing problems. The outcomes also enhance Australia’s manufacturing capacity.Read moreRead less
Condition-based maintenance optimisation for Australian sugar industry. The aim of this project is to develop innovative methodologies for the implementation of condition-based maintenance in the sugar milling industry. This is designed to optimise the allocation of limited maintenance resources and to significantly reduce the $350 million spent on maintenance in the industry each year. New methodologies will account for the seasonality of production and the complexity of allocating limited main ....Condition-based maintenance optimisation for Australian sugar industry. The aim of this project is to develop innovative methodologies for the implementation of condition-based maintenance in the sugar milling industry. This is designed to optimise the allocation of limited maintenance resources and to significantly reduce the $350 million spent on maintenance in the industry each year. New methodologies will account for the seasonality of production and the complexity of allocating limited maintenance resources across numerous equipment items and different production sites. The intended outcome of the project will improve the efficiency of maintenance and hence the global competitiveness of the Australian sugar industry.Read moreRead less
New Ceramic: Fully Stabilised Monoclinic ZrO2 by Al2O3 + SiO2 Additions. Aim: To use conventional manufacturing and advanced manufacturing to produce an unprecedented form of zirconia: Fully stabilised monoclinic zirconia. Significance: The product utilises waste and inexpensive raw materials and it avoids the universal nanoscale transformation from the tetragonal and cubic forms of zirconia, which are commercialised. Outcomes: The product can have widespread uses in the chemical, refractory and ....New Ceramic: Fully Stabilised Monoclinic ZrO2 by Al2O3 + SiO2 Additions. Aim: To use conventional manufacturing and advanced manufacturing to produce an unprecedented form of zirconia: Fully stabilised monoclinic zirconia. Significance: The product utilises waste and inexpensive raw materials and it avoids the universal nanoscale transformation from the tetragonal and cubic forms of zirconia, which are commercialised. Outcomes: The product can have widespread uses in the chemical, refractory and mining industries and the technology aims to expand the industrial partner's commodity base from structural ceramics to high-tech ceramics. Benefits: Greater utilisation of waste and Australian raw materials, new commercialisation opportunities, new training and employment opportunities and breakthrough research.Read moreRead less