JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #68 Special JEC Asia - October 2011 - 11

carbon

Melbourne establishes its position in the carbon fibre sector
The Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing (VCAMM) has come up with an original and unique project that should enable Australia, and Melbourne in particular, to become a key player in the carbon fibre sector.

he aerospace sector in Melbourne is at the cutting edge of the latest carbon fibre developments in Australia. It is also gaining increasing renown internationally for its R&D innovations in the design and manufacturing of carbon fibre composites. This reputation is underpinned by the development of the Australia Future Fibres Research & Innovation Centre (AFFRIC) at the Deakin University of Melbourne.

A worldwide interest for carbon

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international experts from the sector. The AFFRIC should significantly improve the understanding of the manufacturing and use of carbon fibre. The project initiators are looking to attract carbon fibre manufacturers from around the world to Australia, so that they can carry out basic research into the properties of the fibre in a fully-equipped research facility. The centre will make available on-site an industrial production line for carbon fibre, where the latest laboratory developments can be rapidly put to the test in genuine production line conditions.

A key player in development technology
The Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing, VCAMM, is a not-for-profit organisation representing a consortium of public R&D organisations, and was the initiator of this project. The Centre facilitates the development and marketing of technologies aimed at Australian companies in the manufacturing sector by encouraging the participation of industry, the establishment of partnerships and the incubation of new commercial technologies and businesses.

High-level partnerships

A centre dedicated to research
This centre, due for completion in 2012 for a total cost of 100 million Australian dollars, will host the world's first openaccess facility dedicated to industrial-scale research into carbon fibre. It will be the workplace for over 300 researchers and students. Its production line project, with a planned capacity of 20 metric tons of carbon fibre composite materials a year, has already begun to attract the attention of

Despatch Industries, an American company leading the way on the world stage in thermal process technologies for carbon fibre manufacturing, has been asked to supply the fully-integrated pilot-scale carbon fibre production line. The AFFRIC will also conduct large-scale projects related to the manufacturing of composites with the objective of attracting end-users who wish to acquire better knowledge of these materials and their potential, but also to benefit from an independent point of view. In the past, the manufacturing of carbon fibre materials was shrouded in secrecy, which limited their practical scientific application. With this unique tool, the centre's promoters hope to change these practices by conducting open-access research for the public sector, as well as confidential industrial projects.

No68 October 2011 / jec composites magazine The VCAMM identifies projects, partners, capacities and business opportunities of a technological nature. It also marshals the resources and manages the implementation of the programmes. The VCAMM has experience in evaluating proposals, finding start-up capital, providing commercial support and mentoring, establishing contacts, managing facilities and promoting with the aim of supporting the marketing process. This new facility should set Australia up as an international hub for the new-materials industries and offer a state-of-the-art resource in the Asia-Pacific region to European manufacturers and end-users of carbon fibre in the aerospace, wind power and automotive sectors. n

More information: www.vcamm.com.au

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Companies & Business
http://www.vcamm.com.au
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #68 Special JEC Asia - October 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #68 Special JEC Asia - October 2011
