Manufacturing research centres on industry
Research
into sustainable alternative technologies such as bio diesel fuel made
from used cooking oils will receive a boost with State Government
funding of $8 million for the University of South Australia’s industry
centred manufacturing research.
This fuel is one of a diverse range of innovative and leading edge manufacturing technologies to be researched and developed in association with the new Mawson Institute for Advanced Manufacturing.
The Mawson Institute is an exciting initiative aimed at creating a world-class research facility to help both South Australian and Australian businesses compete in a highly competitive global market place, according to Professor of Strategic Manufacturing Leadership, Ross Bensley.
Focusing on both applied and fundamental research, the Mawson Institute will work with industry partners targeting both new product development and innovative manufacturing processes, with an emphasis on creating high value added products that are internationally competitive.
“The bio diesel project will be part of a key research theme focusing on green or sustainable manufacturing, looking at more efficient use of energy in the manufacturing process and designing products that can be recycled. The research has implications for both design as well as the materials that go into products, and for manufacturing facilities to be reconfigurable so that a range of products can be manufactured rather than just one product,” Professor Bensley said.
“An important part of this theme will be research into sustainable alternative fuel technologies including hydrogen, natural gas, bio diesel fuel made from oil used for food products such as fish and chips, and compressed natural gas (CNG). In addition, researchers will design a dedicated engine for CNG that will significantly improve fuel efficiency over existing petrol engines that have been modified to run on CNG,” he said.
Under the new products and emerging industries research theme, UniSA researchers will be developing new products in the emerging field of bio micro-electro-mechanical systems, or BioMEMS, which looks at the micro level of manufacturing.
Professor Bensley sees the medical industry being a major consumer of a portfolio of products coming out of the Mawson Institute at the micro level of manufacturing.
Transformational technologies and virtual engineering is another research theme, which will look at advanced computer simulation techniques, systems and infrastructure for highly productive and efficient manufacturing. This includes virtual testing, where a product’s lifecycle can be determined in a virtual domain rather than by physical testing before manufacture. Designed to physically shrink the time from product concept to production, virtual testing promises significant time savings and reduces labour and production costs.
The new materials for manufacturing research theme will look at thin film coatings and surface engineering. Researchers are already working on a number of projects with industry partners in areas ranging from automotive to aerospace applications. They include the application of thin film coatings to a variety of surfaces such as plastic, glass, metal and fabrics to deliver properties such as abrasion resistance, water repellency, improved optical properties and gas barrier properties.
The research at Mawson Institute will build on foundational work undertaken by UniSA’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Research and the Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (AMCOE), which was funded under UniSA’s Emerging Thematic Priorities Scheme.
AMCOE was instrumental in creating partnerships with UniSA’s Ian Wark Research Institute, Advanced Computer Research Centre, the Institute for Sustainable Systems Technologies and CSIRO’s Division of Manufacturing and Infrastructure Technology. These partnerships created multidisciplinary teams, research concentration, new synergies and critical mass in addressing some key technology challenges confronting the Australian manufacturing sector.
UniSA researchers have played a major role in establishing the Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Automotive Technologies and Mawson Institute will function as the South Australian node of the CRC. The Mawson Institute will have responsibility for a large portfolio of industry-focused research projects and education and skills development programs designed to improve the global competitiveness of Australia’s automotive sector.