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Swinburne University of Technology, alongside its research and industry partners, has been awarded $1 million of funding for a $3.5 million project focused on Industry 4.0 manufacturing of high-volume lightweight composites.
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The funding was awarded through the Global Innovation Linkages (GIL) program, and will see a "world-first process" for 3D printing of industrial scale composites in Swinburne's Industry 4.0 Testlab.
“The Global Innovation Program Linkage grant recognises our leadership in Industry 4.0 transformation of the advanced manufacturing sector through collaboration with our partners in Australia and Germany,” said Swinburne deputy vice-chancellor (research and development) Professor Aleksandar Subic.
“This success validates our Industry 4.0 Testlab strategy and development, and deepens our research partnerships internationally, especially with ARENA2036 in Stuttgart and with Fill in Austria.
“I am pleased that our research team, led by Professor Bronwyn Fox, has secured this support to expand the scope and reach of their high impact research in the area of automated carbon fibre parts production using Industry 4.0 technologies and processes.”
The project is focused on designing and developing products for 'New Mobility Transportation' markets, which is a rapidly growing segment of both aerospace and automotive sectors with a requirement for high volume composites with digital ID.
“Designing and developing Swinburne’s Industry 4.0 Testlab for 3D printing of composites with our industry and research partners is one of the key strategies of the Manufacturing Futures Research Institute, founded two years ago,” said Professor Fox, director of the Manufacturing Futures Research Institute, who will be the research director of the program.
“Our international network of industrially connected researchers enables us to create new global business opportunities for advanced manufacturers in Australia.
“This project will also support training the next generation of digitally astute joint PhD students between Swinburne and the University of Stuttgart.”
Quickstep Holdings, manufacturer of advanced carbon fibre composites and GIL partners with the university, congratulated Swinburne on the funding award.
“The use of advanced materials and processes is a critical factor in aerospace and other advanced industry sectors. Quickstep is developing QPS (Quickstep Production System) solutions for its customers and we see this project further enhancing our capabilities in the advanced manufacturing of composites,” CEO and managing director of Quickstep Mark Burgess said.
“This project will see the further integration of our patented Qure process with other digital and automated technologies to provide a complete solution for the higher volume manufacturing of carbon fibre composite parts.”
