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
Image-based teleoperation of semi-autonomous robotic vehicles. This project will contribute strongly to Australia's robotic service industry in the development of semi-autonomous robotic inspection vehicles by; developing core technology in image-based teleoperation, training experts in the area, promoting the study of this topic within the Australian academia, and developing test facilities and prototype vehicles. Robotic inspection vehicles have the potential to replace direct human presence i ....Image-based teleoperation of semi-autonomous robotic vehicles. This project will contribute strongly to Australia's robotic service industry in the development of semi-autonomous robotic inspection vehicles by; developing core technology in image-based teleoperation, training experts in the area, promoting the study of this topic within the Australian academia, and developing test facilities and prototype vehicles. Robotic inspection vehicles have the potential to replace direct human presence in difficult, dangerous or simply uncomfortable inspection tasks such as; inspection of industrial pressure vessels, piping and conduits in factories or mines, undersea cabling, inspection of bridges, dams and other large scale civil buildings, amongst many other possibilities.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100016
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$490,000.00
Summary
Multi-scale fabrication facility for complex three-dimensional surface generation from nano to macro dimensions. This facility will support advances in the manufacturing of free-form surfaces with submicron features. Its unique characteristics, such as the universal profiling ability and nanometre accuracy across large dimensions, will enable many science and engineering innovations which are presently impossible to be realised in Australia.
Understanding the role of nanoparticles in water based lubrication. This project seeks to understand the role of nanoparticles in the lubrication of hot strip rolling and then to develop novel nano-additive water-based lubricants to solve a long-standing issue for the steel-making industry. Lubrication significantly affects the surface quality of hot-rolled strips, roll wear and energy consumption in the steel-making industry. Currently, oil-based lubricants are used. However, their lubricant ef ....Understanding the role of nanoparticles in water based lubrication. This project seeks to understand the role of nanoparticles in the lubrication of hot strip rolling and then to develop novel nano-additive water-based lubricants to solve a long-standing issue for the steel-making industry. Lubrication significantly affects the surface quality of hot-rolled strips, roll wear and energy consumption in the steel-making industry. Currently, oil-based lubricants are used. However, their lubricant effect is considerably reduced by the use of high pressure cooling water, and the waste discharge is of environmental concern. Successful outcomes for the project are expected to improve product quality and reduce resource use.Read moreRead less
Damage-Free Surfacing of Large Brittle Wafers with On-Machine Flatness Control. The knowledge gained from this research project will be of great value to the development of new generations of high-integrity semiconductor systems for high-speed telecommunication, large-scale computation, transport, biomedicine, agriculture, mining and security. The outcomes will have significant impact on the ultra-precision discipline scientifically and will sharpen the competitive edge of the Australian fabrica ....Damage-Free Surfacing of Large Brittle Wafers with On-Machine Flatness Control. The knowledge gained from this research project will be of great value to the development of new generations of high-integrity semiconductor systems for high-speed telecommunication, large-scale computation, transport, biomedicine, agriculture, mining and security. The outcomes will have significant impact on the ultra-precision discipline scientifically and will sharpen the competitive edge of the Australian fabrication industry. The research will open up remarkable opportunities for young researchers to work in one of the most frontier fields in the 21st century.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668532
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$680,000.00
Summary
A Focussed Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscope for Advanced Analytical and Nanotechnology Research in South East Queensland. The minerals industry underpins Australia's current economic prosperity. The aging of the population presents major economic challenges in the delivery of cost effective health services. New nanotechnology-enabled industries will contribute to future national economic and environmental well-being. The research enhanced by this facility impacts all these areas. It will i ....A Focussed Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscope for Advanced Analytical and Nanotechnology Research in South East Queensland. The minerals industry underpins Australia's current economic prosperity. The aging of the population presents major economic challenges in the delivery of cost effective health services. New nanotechnology-enabled industries will contribute to future national economic and environmental well-being. The research enhanced by this facility impacts all these areas. It will improve mineral extraction and processing, enhance fundamental understanding of cellular interactions with textured surfaces, and lead to improved implantable material designs and improved implantable device lifetimes (eg hip and knee replacements). Development of advanced nanotechnology applications in energy, optoelectronics and sensors will be also be extended.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100036
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$310,000.00
Summary
Super high speed grinding facility for difficult-to-machine materials and structures. This unique system will enable the manufacture of difficult-to-machine materials and structures with high quality and high productivity. It will support ground-breaking research activities across the country and help promote the strategic collaborations within Australian manufacturing society.
An innovative system for accurate bending of fracture fixation plates in orthopaedic surgery. Bone fractures cost the Australian healthcare system about 1 billion annually, with the costs associated with non optimal surgical outcomes due to post-operative complications being much higher. The novel system developed in this project will not only shorten surgical procedures but also result in anatomically better fitting plates which will improve the functional outcome and reduce the need for surgic ....An innovative system for accurate bending of fracture fixation plates in orthopaedic surgery. Bone fractures cost the Australian healthcare system about 1 billion annually, with the costs associated with non optimal surgical outcomes due to post-operative complications being much higher. The novel system developed in this project will not only shorten surgical procedures but also result in anatomically better fitting plates which will improve the functional outcome and reduce the need for surgical implant removal. It will further lessen degenerative changes in adjacent joints as a result of incorrect fracture alignment. It can be expected that these improvements in surgical techniques will translate into reduced healthcare expenditure and ensure patient's quality of life.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms and innovative technologies for machining nanoscale multilayered thin film solar panels. This project addresses an important manufacturing bottleneck in the solar energy industry by addressing significant limitations in machining multilayered solar panels. A successful outcome will provide an important breakthrough in machining technology applicable not only to solar panels but other material science applications.