As part of an exciting partnership, Swinburne and Australia’s national science agency CSIRO are creating a joint Research and Development (R&D) facility with a pilot plant for a world-first process for the additive manufacturing of carbon fibre composite materials.
The National Industry 4.0 Testlab in Composite Additive Manufacturing is the first national facility in a network of six state-based Industry 4.0 Testlabs established across Australia.
Construction of the facility, located at CSIRO’s Clayton site in Victoria, began earlier this year and is due to be completed in October.
“The joint CSIRO/Swinburne Testlab is focused on a world-first process for additive manufacturing of carbon fibre-reinforced composites at an industrial scale,” says Dr Marcus Zipper, Executive Director of CSIRO’s Future Industries sector.
“This makes its location, at the heart of Clayton’s additive manufacturing precinct, a great fit. At CSIRO we’re all about creating opportunities for SMEs and the broader innovation ecosystem, and this Testlab is another example of that.”
The facility aims to work with a variety of collaborators, forging a path for new Australian manufacturing with high-tech products based on sustainable, advanced manufacturing processes. It aims to enable flexible manufacturing that can rapidly adapt to changing industry demands.
“The facility will build on the strong track record of collaboration between Swinburne and CSIRO. Strengthening that partnership will catalyse the development of new digital manufacturing technologies,” says Swinburne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Bronwyn Fox.
“I have worked for or with CSIRO for my entire career and have seen the incredible impact that university partnerships with CSIRO can have in developing new technology that stimulates economic growth for Australia. I’m personally committed to and very passionate about this strategic collaboration.”