Use of CT Scanned Data in automation of Carcass Processing. Meat production is important to the Australian economy. The industry is threatened by inability to obtain sufficient labor for meat processing. Automation represents a potential solution, but brings challenges. Piecemeal automation has produced haphazard interspersing of automated and manual workstations. In meat processing automation, the greatest benefits are obtained when the process is integrated and data is passed down the process ....Use of CT Scanned Data in automation of Carcass Processing. Meat production is important to the Australian economy. The industry is threatened by inability to obtain sufficient labor for meat processing. Automation represents a potential solution, but brings challenges. Piecemeal automation has produced haphazard interspersing of automated and manual workstations. In meat processing automation, the greatest benefits are obtained when the process is integrated and data is passed down the process line. The outcomes of this project, a practically deployable robotic system, enabling methodologies and a common database, represent a big step towards integrated meat processing and bring enormous economic and health benefits to Australian community.Read moreRead less
Wet granule mechanics and their influence on agglomeration behaviour and granulation processes. Granulation is a widely-used particle size enlargement process performed by spraying a liquid binder onto an agitated powder mass. It is currently impossible to quantitatively predict granule growth behaviour in terms of the fundamental properties of the particles and binder. This project will measure and model the deformation of granules and the strength of bonds formed between them and use this info ....Wet granule mechanics and their influence on agglomeration behaviour and granulation processes. Granulation is a widely-used particle size enlargement process performed by spraying a liquid binder onto an agitated powder mass. It is currently impossible to quantitatively predict granule growth behaviour in terms of the fundamental properties of the particles and binder. This project will measure and model the deformation of granules and the strength of bonds formed between them and use this information to predict their growth behaviour. Special attention will be given to the effects of strain-rate and particle morphology in granulation mechanics. Improvements in granulation technology will be of great benefit to food, pharmaceutical, agricultural, explosives and mining industries and opens the way to 'designer granulation' for special purposes.Read moreRead less
Fatigue Life Prediction of Nano-filler Modified Composites. The proposed project aims to study the behaviour and the failure mechanisms of polymer nanocomposites under cyclic loading. The outcomes of the project will make original contributions to our knowledge base on such materials. The mechanics modelling and statistical analysis of the prediction of fatigue life will provide a sound physical basis and a useful tool for any future improvement and optimisation of the composites to achieve bett ....Fatigue Life Prediction of Nano-filler Modified Composites. The proposed project aims to study the behaviour and the failure mechanisms of polymer nanocomposites under cyclic loading. The outcomes of the project will make original contributions to our knowledge base on such materials. The mechanics modelling and statistical analysis of the prediction of fatigue life will provide a sound physical basis and a useful tool for any future improvement and optimisation of the composites to achieve better reliability and integrity in their intended applications. This study will bring economic benefits to the end-users of advanced material technology including the Australian materials industries. Read moreRead less
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Granular Flow in Hoppers. Handling and processing of bulk solids such as coal and metal ores perform a key function in many industries, and hoppers are the most common devices for storage and discharge of granular materials in this field. The proper design of this equipment is very important. This project provides a systematic investigation of granular flow in hoppers, which is essential in order to avoid structure failures and associated costs. It wil ....Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Granular Flow in Hoppers. Handling and processing of bulk solids such as coal and metal ores perform a key function in many industries, and hoppers are the most common devices for storage and discharge of granular materials in this field. The proper design of this equipment is very important. This project provides a systematic investigation of granular flow in hoppers, which is essential in order to avoid structure failures and associated costs. It will lead to a fundamental understanding of relevant industrial processes, improvement of their efficiency, and hence improved competitiveness of Australian mining/mineral/metallurgical industries.Read moreRead less
Optimal transitional surface for a new continuous press forming process. This project addresses the National Research Priority - Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries through smart information use. This project aims to gain fundamental scientific understanding of a manufacturing process with the aim of developing a tool that will enhance existing manufacturing processes and controls from an 'art of expertise' to a scientific understanding and improvement. Th ....Optimal transitional surface for a new continuous press forming process. This project addresses the National Research Priority - Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries through smart information use. This project aims to gain fundamental scientific understanding of a manufacturing process with the aim of developing a tool that will enhance existing manufacturing processes and controls from an 'art of expertise' to a scientific understanding and improvement. This manufacturing area represents a niche market for Australian manufacturing and the development of a product that enhances productivity and reduces costs has the potential to elevate Australian manufacturers in the export market and create economic benefit for Australia.Read moreRead less
Topology optimisation? An engineering approach to design of metamaterials. Metamaterials offer unusual physical properties and have significant potential to many technological innovations in precision instrument, medical, telecommunication, space and defence industries in the future. This project aims to develop a computational method for metamaterials so that they can be designed in an effective way.
A new abrasive waterjet milling technology and process models for fabricating energy-efficient electrical machines from amorphous magnetic metal laminations. As the most energy-efficient core material for electrical machines, amorphous magnetic metal (AMM) can save more than 36% of the energy wasted by ordinary electrical motors. Since electrical motors consume about 70% of all the electricity generated, if all electrical motors in Australia use AMM as the core material, an annual energy saving ....A new abrasive waterjet milling technology and process models for fabricating energy-efficient electrical machines from amorphous magnetic metal laminations. As the most energy-efficient core material for electrical machines, amorphous magnetic metal (AMM) can save more than 36% of the energy wasted by ordinary electrical motors. Since electrical motors consume about 70% of all the electricity generated, if all electrical motors in Australia use AMM as the core material, an annual energy saving worth approximately $4 billion and an annual reduction of 16 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emission in Australia are expected based on the predicted electricity consumption in 2010. This project will develop a new technology for fabricating larger electrical machines from AMM laminations. It targets the national research priorities in Frontier Technologies and An Environmentally Sustainable Australia.Read moreRead less
Design Strategy for Cold Roll Formed Products. Roll forming is a widely used metal forming technology in Australia. The demands for shorter lead times, more complex shapes, new high strength materials and more demanding markets such as the automotive industry, requires increased virtual engineering at the design stage. This project will develop the models and tools required to enable the industry to efficiently design robust roll configurations to meet current and future demands. The outcomes ....Design Strategy for Cold Roll Formed Products. Roll forming is a widely used metal forming technology in Australia. The demands for shorter lead times, more complex shapes, new high strength materials and more demanding markets such as the automotive industry, requires increased virtual engineering at the design stage. This project will develop the models and tools required to enable the industry to efficiently design robust roll configurations to meet current and future demands. The outcomes from this project will not only benefit the industry partners involved but the general Australian roll forming industry, opening up new markets and opportunities.Read moreRead less
Dynamic recrystallization and preferred orientation in ultra-thin steel-strip under conditions of fluctuating temperature and stress. We aim to develop a sound understanding of the origins of ridge-buckle defects in flat-rolled steel sheet and to train researchers in advanced techniques. By studying dynamic recrystallisation and texture formation, not of the bulk, but of isolated pockets of material within the bulk that are subject to fluctuating conditions of temperature and stress, defect form ....Dynamic recrystallization and preferred orientation in ultra-thin steel-strip under conditions of fluctuating temperature and stress. We aim to develop a sound understanding of the origins of ridge-buckle defects in flat-rolled steel sheet and to train researchers in advanced techniques. By studying dynamic recrystallisation and texture formation, not of the bulk, but of isolated pockets of material within the bulk that are subject to fluctuating conditions of temperature and stress, defect formation will be related to the intricate interplay between rolling dynamics and microstructural development. Through this new approach a scientifically founded quantitative model should emerge so that defect occurrence can be forecasted, preventative action predicted and industry's competitive position be retained. Read moreRead less
Innovative Rubber Vibration Isolators Using a Variable Die Extrusion Process. Derby Rubber's innovative variable-die extrusion process opens new possibilities for vibration-isolation pads, such as those used to isolate industrial machinery and railway tracks. Conceivably, clever, simple inexpensive solutions can be tailored to each application to provide most of the benefits of complex, expensive systems. The market would be large, and the margins attractive. We aim to achieve this via wide-rang ....Innovative Rubber Vibration Isolators Using a Variable Die Extrusion Process. Derby Rubber's innovative variable-die extrusion process opens new possibilities for vibration-isolation pads, such as those used to isolate industrial machinery and railway tracks. Conceivably, clever, simple inexpensive solutions can be tailored to each application to provide most of the benefits of complex, expensive systems. The market would be large, and the margins attractive. We aim to achieve this via wide-ranging innovation based on creativity in conceptual design, ingenuity of production process, and reliability in testing, all underpinned by new analytical capabilities to enable pad designs to be assessed in the design stage and subsequently tailored to a specific application.Read moreRead less