Australia's universities underpin the Nation's research and innovation effort, and in partnership with industry can deliver long-term economic, social and environmental benefits said the President of the Australian Vice- Chancellors' Committee (AVCC) Professor Gerard Sutton.
The economic, social and environmental benefits of Australia's universities to the Nation are the focus of the recent AVCC submission to the Productivity Commission research study on public support for science and innovation.
Professor Sutton said that an excellent example of a university underpinning innovative research that will benefit industry, the economy and the environment is the Quickstep Process research program.
"The Quickstep Process is a range of unique and patented technologies using carbon fibres to produce high quality moulded composite materials instead of the traditional metals. Carbon fibre composites have been used for years in aircraft panels and Formula One racing cars, but material costs have kept the technology out of reach of mass manufacturing," Professor Sutton said.
"The initial process was developed by a Western Australian company called Quickstep Technologies Pty Ltd in conjunction with the CSIRO.
"Today engineering research led by Dr Bronwyn Fox of Deakin University is currently refining the technology and it is thought that `composite cars' could be on the road within five years. The successful development of composite car panels promises significantly lighter vehicles, helping to reduce emissions and cut fuel costs," Professor Sutton said.
The composite car panels also have the potential to give Australia a significant competitive edge in high value manufacturing by slashing conventional manufacturing costs, decreasing production times, and the second generation materials now in development could cut the cost of automotive parts by 50 per cent.
Professor Sutton said that it was the effective collaboration between and among researchers, engineers and technicians in the public and private sectors and the development of the associated business partnerships that continues to underpin Quickstep Process's development and marketability.
"This case study is but one example of productive cross-sectoral interactions where the university sector is underpinning research and innovation," Professor Sutton said.
The AVCC Submission makes recommendations to the Productivity Commission on how to increase publicprivate research and innovation partnerships in Australia. Specifically the submission recommends that:
- Australia build on existing collaborations between universities, publicly funded research agencies and the private sector by developing new incentives for greater private sector participation in the national innovation system
- the Australian Government create a specific funding program to enhance universities capacity to use knowledge transfer to encourage wealth creation by business and communities and to address broader community social, health, and environment challenges.
A copy of the AVCC submission is available from here.
Media Inquiries Callista Punch - phone: (02) 6285 8206 or 0400 166691
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Quickstep Process - technologies to balance pressure and liquid heating and cooling
Brief synopsis
Quickstep, or more specifically, the Quickstep Process, is a range of unique and patented technologies involving carbon fibres that can be used in the out-of-autoclave manufacture of advanced composite materials using balanced pressure and liquid heating and cooling. The initial process producing high quality moulded composites was developed by a Western Australian company called Quickstep Technologies Pty Ltd in conjunction with CSIRO.
Deakin University provided a significant proportion of the underpinning research that supported Quickstep to move from start-up phase to a public listing.
The Quickstep Process has applications in the aerospace and automotive industries where strength and weight are critical, as well as in many other industries seeking to replace metals with composites. Carbon fibre composites have been used to shape aircraft panels and Formula One racing cars for many years, but material costs have kept the technology out of reach of mass manufacturing. Now the researchers are unlocking ways to move these materials out of aircraft hangars and into the family garage.
The engineering research team is led by Dr Bronwyn Fox of Deakin University's Faculty of Engineering, a chemistry graduate whose doctorate is in aerospace composites. The team includes engineers and researchers from Quickstep, Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), and the Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials
Manufacturing (VCAMM), which includes several universities.
Timeframe
From January 2004 to the present.
Success factors
- Deakin University had a broad skill set in the area of smart materials that enabled it to take a unique systems approach to improving the conceptual Quickstep Process that had been invented by an industry partner. This approach involved a broad range of disciplines including mechanical engineering, materials science and many others.
- This systems approach was instrumental in the industry partner's decision to move its research operations from Western Australia to Deakin University in Victoria.
- Effective collaboration between and among researchers, engineers and technicians in the public and private sectors and in the development of the associated business partnerships continues to underpin Quickstep Process's development and marketability.
Barriers
The use of balanced pressure and liquid heating and cooling for the manufacture of advanced composite materials, rather than auto-claving, was an entirely new idea that was contrary to conventional wisdom. As a result, there were several challenges in relation to process and perception that needed to be overcome.
Benefits
Reduced costs to industry in terms of capital expenditure, tooling and operational expenses, as well as providing a lightweight alternative to metals such as steel and titanium. This has the potential to provide Australian industry with a significant competitive advantage in high value manufacturing, such as aerospace.
Dr Fox's team is currently refining the technology; and it is thought that `composite cars' could be on the road within five years. The successful development of composite car panels with a completely smooth surface finish promises significantly lighter vehicles, helping to reduce emissions and cut fuel costs. The composite car panels also have the potential to slash conventional manufacturing costs. Fast-tracked production times and the second-generation materials now in development could cut the cost of automotive parts by 50 per cent.
