Understanding the role of nanoparticles in water based lubrication. This project seeks to understand the role of nanoparticles in the lubrication of hot strip rolling and then to develop novel nano-additive water-based lubricants to solve a long-standing issue for the steel-making industry. Lubrication significantly affects the surface quality of hot-rolled strips, roll wear and energy consumption in the steel-making industry. Currently, oil-based lubricants are used. However, their lubricant ef ....Understanding the role of nanoparticles in water based lubrication. This project seeks to understand the role of nanoparticles in the lubrication of hot strip rolling and then to develop novel nano-additive water-based lubricants to solve a long-standing issue for the steel-making industry. Lubrication significantly affects the surface quality of hot-rolled strips, roll wear and energy consumption in the steel-making industry. Currently, oil-based lubricants are used. However, their lubricant effect is considerably reduced by the use of high pressure cooling water, and the waste discharge is of environmental concern. Successful outcomes for the project are expected to improve product quality and reduce resource use.Read moreRead less
Damage-Free Surfacing of Large Brittle Wafers with On-Machine Flatness Control. The knowledge gained from this research project will be of great value to the development of new generations of high-integrity semiconductor systems for high-speed telecommunication, large-scale computation, transport, biomedicine, agriculture, mining and security. The outcomes will have significant impact on the ultra-precision discipline scientifically and will sharpen the competitive edge of the Australian fabrica ....Damage-Free Surfacing of Large Brittle Wafers with On-Machine Flatness Control. The knowledge gained from this research project will be of great value to the development of new generations of high-integrity semiconductor systems for high-speed telecommunication, large-scale computation, transport, biomedicine, agriculture, mining and security. The outcomes will have significant impact on the ultra-precision discipline scientifically and will sharpen the competitive edge of the Australian fabrication industry. The research will open up remarkable opportunities for young researchers to work in one of the most frontier fields in the 21st century.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
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100016
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$490,000.00
Summary
Multi-scale fabrication facility for complex three-dimensional surface generation from nano to macro dimensions. This facility will support advances in the manufacturing of free-form surfaces with submicron features. Its unique characteristics, such as the universal profiling ability and nanometre accuracy across large dimensions, will enable many science and engineering innovations which are presently impossible to be realised in Australia.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100003
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,000.00
Summary
Flexible forming facility for low cost light weight applications. Flexible forming facility for low-cost light-weight applications: This project will establish Australia’s first flexible roll forming facility. The facility will be unique in the world, being specifically designed to roll form the most advanced high strength alloys into complex three-dimensional shapes and investigate their material behaviour under a wide range of loading conditions. This technology represents a step change in com ....Flexible forming facility for low cost light weight applications. Flexible forming facility for low-cost light-weight applications: This project will establish Australia’s first flexible roll forming facility. The facility will be unique in the world, being specifically designed to roll form the most advanced high strength alloys into complex three-dimensional shapes and investigate their material behaviour under a wide range of loading conditions. This technology represents a step change in commercial processing and has the capacity to form materials with high strength and limited ductility. This will lead to the development of new techniques for the manufacture of new advanced materials including advanced high strength steels, composites, nano structured metals and light metal alloys for automotive and aerospace applications.Read moreRead less
Modelling the cutting process and cutting performance in contour and multipass abrasive waterjet machining. This project will develop important new cutting techniques to increase the cutting capability and application domain of the abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting technology. It will gain a fundamental understanding of the cutting phenomenon and develop new mathematical models for predicting the cutting performance in AWJ contouring and multipass cutting. This project will further develop into a ....Modelling the cutting process and cutting performance in contour and multipass abrasive waterjet machining. This project will develop important new cutting techniques to increase the cutting capability and application domain of the abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting technology. It will gain a fundamental understanding of the cutting phenomenon and develop new mathematical models for predicting the cutting performance in AWJ contouring and multipass cutting. This project will further develop into a new branch of manufacturing science by uncovering the cutting mechanisms in AWJ machining with and without nozzle oscillation, and have significant impact to the manufacturing industry by providing machining information and cutting performance models to increase the technological and economic performance of AWJ machining.Read moreRead less
Development of micro abrasive water jetting technology for micro machining and polishing on small complex curved surfaces. The fabrication of micro-parts such as those used in integrated sensors and micro-actuators is a new challenge for the rapid development of this industry. Many existing technologies either find limitations or result in defects on the machined surfaces. This project will develop an innovative abrasive water-jetting technology for micro machining and polishing. It will deve ....Development of micro abrasive water jetting technology for micro machining and polishing on small complex curved surfaces. The fabrication of micro-parts such as those used in integrated sensors and micro-actuators is a new challenge for the rapid development of this industry. Many existing technologies either find limitations or result in defects on the machined surfaces. This project will develop an innovative abrasive water-jetting technology for micro machining and polishing. It will develop the fundamentals and prototype for further development by industry. New nozzle designs will be analyzed and optimized by computational fluid dynamics studies and experimental investigations using a Particle Image Velocimeter. Mathematical models for the processing performance will also be developed for use in process control.Read moreRead less
Additive manufacturing wear-resistant products for erosive environments. Additive manufacturing wear-resistant products for erosive environments. This project aims to develop technology to manufacture large scale, wear resistant components, involving new materials, computer-aided-design and direct hybrid manufacturing comprising laser additive and machining processes. The technology could produce more wear resistant components, using new iron-based powders, designed mesoscale graded structures a ....Additive manufacturing wear-resistant products for erosive environments. Additive manufacturing wear-resistant products for erosive environments. This project aims to develop technology to manufacture large scale, wear resistant components, involving new materials, computer-aided-design and direct hybrid manufacturing comprising laser additive and machining processes. The technology could produce more wear resistant components, using new iron-based powders, designed mesoscale graded structures and microscale reinforcing phases of appropriate morphology and size. The proposed approach is expected to lead to lower cost manufacturing mining products which perform better and have a lower environmental footprint, and more competitive Australian mining manufacturing operations.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100036
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$310,000.00
Summary
Super high speed grinding facility for difficult-to-machine materials and structures. This unique system will enable the manufacture of difficult-to-machine materials and structures with high quality and high productivity. It will support ground-breaking research activities across the country and help promote the strategic collaborations within Australian manufacturing society.