Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346666
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$260,000.00
Summary
Mobile high power diode laser for thermal processing applications. This proposal seeks to establish a mobile, high-power diode laser facility for thermal processing of in-situ components in the power generation, defence, shipbuilding and mining industries. Diode lasers offer significant advantages for laser thermal processing over conventional CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers in terms of their output wavelength, size and efficiency. The mobile high power diode laser facility will help build a strong infr ....Mobile high power diode laser for thermal processing applications. This proposal seeks to establish a mobile, high-power diode laser facility for thermal processing of in-situ components in the power generation, defence, shipbuilding and mining industries. Diode lasers offer significant advantages for laser thermal processing over conventional CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers in terms of their output wavelength, size and efficiency. The mobile high power diode laser facility will help build a strong infrastructure for in-situ repair of worn components and is expected to reduce overall component repair costs and time.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC160100040
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,815,143.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites. ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites. This centre aims to develop innovative researchers who can transform Australia’s high-performance carbon composites manufacturing industry. This aim will be achieved through the adoption and creative use of advanced automation technology, which brings benefits of speed, flexibility and accuracy. Industry-based research experience will be enhanced through exp ....ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites. ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites. This centre aims to develop innovative researchers who can transform Australia’s high-performance carbon composites manufacturing industry. This aim will be achieved through the adoption and creative use of advanced automation technology, which brings benefits of speed, flexibility and accuracy. Industry-based research experience will be enhanced through exposure to international partners at the cutting edge of advanced composites manufacturing research and development in developed economies. The intended outcome is a generation of innovators who can use the benefits of automation to position Australian manufacturers as world-class agile producers of high-value advanced composite structures using high-rate, error-free processes.Read moreRead less
A New Parallel Robot with breakthrough performance for Manufacturing of Aerospace Components - kinematic and dynamic synthesis, design optimisation and prototyping. The Gantry-Tau is a new parallel type robot manipulator that will have the large workspace benefit of traditional Gantry robots in addition to stiffness and accuracy benefits well beyond the capabilities of existing robots. Preliminary results have shown that the Gantry-Tau can become the most accurate Gantry manipulator to date, wit ....A New Parallel Robot with breakthrough performance for Manufacturing of Aerospace Components - kinematic and dynamic synthesis, design optimisation and prototyping. The Gantry-Tau is a new parallel type robot manipulator that will have the large workspace benefit of traditional Gantry robots in addition to stiffness and accuracy benefits well beyond the capabilities of existing robots. Preliminary results have shown that the Gantry-Tau can become the most accurate Gantry manipulator to date, with the potential of competing with dedicated machines in the manufacturing industry. The expected project outcome is a working prototype of the Gantry-Tau demonstrating machining performance on aerospace components, publications in high-ranked conferences and journals and several patent applications.Read moreRead less
Decision support systems for the implementation of team based cellular manufacturing in adaptive organizations. Cellular manufacturing, where a family of products is produced in discrete multi-machine cells, has been adopted by many firms to increase flexibility, reduce costs and improve quality. However the implementation of cellular manufacturing is a complex process as technology, customer needs, product characteristics, enterprise goals and organisation structure can influence the effectiven ....Decision support systems for the implementation of team based cellular manufacturing in adaptive organizations. Cellular manufacturing, where a family of products is produced in discrete multi-machine cells, has been adopted by many firms to increase flexibility, reduce costs and improve quality. However the implementation of cellular manufacturing is a complex process as technology, customer needs, product characteristics, enterprise goals and organisation structure can influence the effectiveness of the implementation. This project will develop an intelligent model for the implementation of cellular manufacturing in batch production and test it in a case study. The work will contribute to Australia's contribution to the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems international research project SYMPHONY.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668473
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$710,000.00
Summary
Direct Metal Deposition Freeform Fabrication Facility for Rapid Tooling and Manufacturing. Tools, dies and moulds produce approximately 87% of plastic and metal products for industries ranging among automotive, medical, electronics, aerospace and consumer products. The industry appears to be in a state of decline with domestic demand for tools, dies and moulds shrinking because manufacturing facilities are relocating to foreign countries to take advantage of low-cost labour and manufacturing cos ....Direct Metal Deposition Freeform Fabrication Facility for Rapid Tooling and Manufacturing. Tools, dies and moulds produce approximately 87% of plastic and metal products for industries ranging among automotive, medical, electronics, aerospace and consumer products. The industry appears to be in a state of decline with domestic demand for tools, dies and moulds shrinking because manufacturing facilities are relocating to foreign countries to take advantage of low-cost labour and manufacturing costs. The new technology of Direct Metal Deposition offers an opportunity to reverse this trend by providing tools that are faster to manufacture, allow for old tools to be refurbished and to incorporate special features into the tools, to deliver competitive advantages.Read moreRead less
High precision material processing using ultrashort laser pulses at MHz repetition rates. The continual miniaturisation of mechanical and electronic components for biomedical, aerospace and industrial products is driving the demand for advanced fabrication techniques. Femtosecond laser micromachining in particular is emerging as a critical manufacturing process for these components and other new and unprecedented applications.
The project will build up strong links between the Photonics Institu ....High precision material processing using ultrashort laser pulses at MHz repetition rates. The continual miniaturisation of mechanical and electronic components for biomedical, aerospace and industrial products is driving the demand for advanced fabrication techniques. Femtosecond laser micromachining in particular is emerging as a critical manufacturing process for these components and other new and unprecedented applications.
The project will build up strong links between the Photonics Institute in Vienna, Austria, which is noted for their achievements in the development of femtosecond light sources, and the CLA, which has an excellent reputation for its expert knowledge in laser material processing. It is therefore believed to be beneficial for research in both countries.
Read moreRead less
Laser-based dynamic measurements, model identification and error compensation for multi-arm robotic pre-fabrication of structural components. The aim is to establish methodologies for laser-based dynamic measurements, accurate model identification and error correction in multi-arm cooperative robotic manipulation systems. The expected outcomes include development of enabling technologies and the world's first automated fabrication system for structural timber components. The novel methodologi ....Laser-based dynamic measurements, model identification and error compensation for multi-arm robotic pre-fabrication of structural components. The aim is to establish methodologies for laser-based dynamic measurements, accurate model identification and error correction in multi-arm cooperative robotic manipulation systems. The expected outcomes include development of enabling technologies and the world's first automated fabrication system for structural timber components. The novel methodologies established will increase safety, and improve and automate the fabrication of wall frames, roof trusses, and floor and ceiling panels for housing, industrial and commercial projects within Australia and overseas. Other application areas include multi-arm manufacturing and handling of large components, materials handling in hazardous environments, and robotic servicing tasks in remote places.Read moreRead less
Predictive modelling of the incremental sheet forming process. This project will benefit Australia with the gain of fundamental understanding of an advanced manufacturing process leading to a step change from an 'art of expertise' to a scientific understanding and improvement. The innovative design software kernel developed will facilitate a step change in manufacture of complex sheet formed product, such as aircraft and vehicle panelling. This seed collaborative research with QMI Solutions and ....Predictive modelling of the incremental sheet forming process. This project will benefit Australia with the gain of fundamental understanding of an advanced manufacturing process leading to a step change from an 'art of expertise' to a scientific understanding and improvement. The innovative design software kernel developed will facilitate a step change in manufacture of complex sheet formed product, such as aircraft and vehicle panelling. This seed collaborative research with QMI Solutions and global partner, Boeing, will enhance national modelling capability in advanced metal forming, a niche market for Australian manufacturing. The new technology and research support capabilities for its adoption, will lead to new national business and export opportunities.Read moreRead less
Dimensional Control of Stamped Components for Optimized Assembly Operations. Dimensional control is one of the most important challenges in automotive body assembly. The aim of this project is to develop a method of characterizing dimensional variation in a stamped sheet formed parts such that the effect of this variation on assemblies can be analysed. This will lead to an approach to flexible fixturing to minimizing assembly dimensional variation and improve dimensional quality.
Distributed Real-time Multiobjective Scheduling for Joinery Manufacturing Processes using Discrete Event Simulation. Australia's furniture manufacturing industry is a major contributor to the economic wealth of the Australian economy with an annual $9.5 billion turnover. The Australian Furnishing Industry Association (AFIA) estimates that there are 15,000 furniture design and manufacturing firms, employing 66,000 people. However, Australian manufacturers are experiencing high levels of fixed cos ....Distributed Real-time Multiobjective Scheduling for Joinery Manufacturing Processes using Discrete Event Simulation. Australia's furniture manufacturing industry is a major contributor to the economic wealth of the Australian economy with an annual $9.5 billion turnover. The Australian Furnishing Industry Association (AFIA) estimates that there are 15,000 furniture design and manufacturing firms, employing 66,000 people. However, Australian manufacturers are experiencing high levels of fixed cost (associated with plant and equipment) and low equipment-utilisation ratio and long delivery time. This research aims to enable Australian manufacturers to stay competitive in the dynamic global market, by providing a better strategy to allocate their constrained resources including workforces and facilities.Read moreRead less