Non-destructive characterisation of residual stresses for the silicon-on-sapphire technology. Every sapphire wafer for the fabrication of integrated circuits using the silicon-on-sapphire technology is worth more than a thousand dollars, and the cost grows exponentially with successive processing of circuitry. Early detection and prevention of wafer failure is therefore an economic and quality necessity. The fast, non-destructive method to be developed by the proposed research will enable semic ....Non-destructive characterisation of residual stresses for the silicon-on-sapphire technology. Every sapphire wafer for the fabrication of integrated circuits using the silicon-on-sapphire technology is worth more than a thousand dollars, and the cost grows exponentially with successive processing of circuitry. Early detection and prevention of wafer failure is therefore an economic and quality necessity. The fast, non-destructive method to be developed by the proposed research will enable semiconductor electronics manufacturers to achieve a cost-effective fabrication of integrated circuits by detecting damages in wafers at the very early stage of production.Read moreRead less
Exploration of lead free ferroelectric crystals for transducer applications. This project aims to investigate lead free crystals, which are expected to possess high piezoelectric properties for medical imaging and underwater acoustics, as an alternative to toxic lead-based ferroelectrics which have been dominantly used in ultrasound transducers. The project will have significant impact on development of new lead-free ferroelectric crystals with desirable properties. This will benefit Australian ....Exploration of lead free ferroelectric crystals for transducer applications. This project aims to investigate lead free crystals, which are expected to possess high piezoelectric properties for medical imaging and underwater acoustics, as an alternative to toxic lead-based ferroelectrics which have been dominantly used in ultrasound transducers. The project will have significant impact on development of new lead-free ferroelectric crystals with desirable properties. This will benefit Australian industry by providing knowledge and technology of crystal growth, enabling advanced ultrasound transducers for medical imaging and underwater acoustic applications.Read moreRead less
New Ceramic: Fully Stabilised Monoclinic ZrO2 by Al2O3 + SiO2 Additions. Aim: To use conventional manufacturing and advanced manufacturing to produce an unprecedented form of zirconia: Fully stabilised monoclinic zirconia. Significance: The product utilises waste and inexpensive raw materials and it avoids the universal nanoscale transformation from the tetragonal and cubic forms of zirconia, which are commercialised. Outcomes: The product can have widespread uses in the chemical, refractory and ....New Ceramic: Fully Stabilised Monoclinic ZrO2 by Al2O3 + SiO2 Additions. Aim: To use conventional manufacturing and advanced manufacturing to produce an unprecedented form of zirconia: Fully stabilised monoclinic zirconia. Significance: The product utilises waste and inexpensive raw materials and it avoids the universal nanoscale transformation from the tetragonal and cubic forms of zirconia, which are commercialised. Outcomes: The product can have widespread uses in the chemical, refractory and mining industries and the technology aims to expand the industrial partner's commodity base from structural ceramics to high-tech ceramics. Benefits: Greater utilisation of waste and Australian raw materials, new commercialisation opportunities, new training and employment opportunities and breakthrough research.Read moreRead less
Process models and control strategies for abrasive waterjet precision cutting of amorphous magnetic metal parts for energy efficient electrical machines. Amorphous magnetic metal (AMM) is the most energy-efficient material for electrical machines and can save more than 36% of the energy wasted by an electrical motor using an ordinary core material. Since electrical motors consume about 70% of all the electricity generated, energy saving of approximately $900 million annually in electricity bills ....Process models and control strategies for abrasive waterjet precision cutting of amorphous magnetic metal parts for energy efficient electrical machines. Amorphous magnetic metal (AMM) is the most energy-efficient material for electrical machines and can save more than 36% of the energy wasted by an electrical motor using an ordinary core material. Since electrical motors consume about 70% of all the electricity generated, energy saving of approximately $900 million annually in electricity bills, and an annual reduction of 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia are expected. This project will develop a unique technology able to cut AMM to the required quality and productivity. It targets the national research priorities in Frontier Technologies and An Environmentally Sustainable Australia. Read moreRead less
Modelling the cutting process and cutting performance in contour and multipass abrasive waterjet machining. This project will develop important new cutting techniques to increase the cutting capability and application domain of the abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting technology. It will gain a fundamental understanding of the cutting phenomenon and develop new mathematical models for predicting the cutting performance in AWJ contouring and multipass cutting. This project will further develop into a ....Modelling the cutting process and cutting performance in contour and multipass abrasive waterjet machining. This project will develop important new cutting techniques to increase the cutting capability and application domain of the abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting technology. It will gain a fundamental understanding of the cutting phenomenon and develop new mathematical models for predicting the cutting performance in AWJ contouring and multipass cutting. This project will further develop into a new branch of manufacturing science by uncovering the cutting mechanisms in AWJ machining with and without nozzle oscillation, and have significant impact to the manufacturing industry by providing machining information and cutting performance models to increase the technological and economic performance of AWJ machining.Read moreRead less
Development of micro abrasive water jetting technology for micro machining and polishing on small complex curved surfaces. The fabrication of micro-parts such as those used in integrated sensors and micro-actuators is a new challenge for the rapid development of this industry. Many existing technologies either find limitations or result in defects on the machined surfaces. This project will develop an innovative abrasive water-jetting technology for micro machining and polishing. It will deve ....Development of micro abrasive water jetting technology for micro machining and polishing on small complex curved surfaces. The fabrication of micro-parts such as those used in integrated sensors and micro-actuators is a new challenge for the rapid development of this industry. Many existing technologies either find limitations or result in defects on the machined surfaces. This project will develop an innovative abrasive water-jetting technology for micro machining and polishing. It will develop the fundamentals and prototype for further development by industry. New nozzle designs will be analyzed and optimized by computational fluid dynamics studies and experimental investigations using a Particle Image Velocimeter. Mathematical models for the processing performance will also be developed for use in process control.Read moreRead less
Modelling the jet characteristics and process performance for abrasive waterjet micro-machining. This project will develop a new manufacturing science and technology for micro-machining using a micro-abrasive waterjet. The new technology will provide an effective means for micro-cutting, etching and super-finish polishing on various micro-parts, particularly for advanced materials such as ceramics and glasses that are being increasingly used by industry while other technologies either experience ....Modelling the jet characteristics and process performance for abrasive waterjet micro-machining. This project will develop a new manufacturing science and technology for micro-machining using a micro-abrasive waterjet. The new technology will provide an effective means for micro-cutting, etching and super-finish polishing on various micro-parts, particularly for advanced materials such as ceramics and glasses that are being increasingly used by industry while other technologies either experience difficulties or result in defects in processing them. This technology will increase the capacity of the Australian manufacturing industry to exploit new leading technologies and products.Read moreRead less
Manufacture of precision optical components: ground-breaking through innovative constitutive modeling. It has been a worldwide challenge to make high precision optical elements using glass moulding though it is the most effective process. This project aims to develop a novel way to optimise precision glass moulding processes. The success of this research will significantly reduce the development cost and improve the quality of the moulding products.