The Welding Technology Institute of Australia (WTIA) will present two University of Wollongong Research Fellows with prestigious awards next month in Sydney.

Dr Mark Callaghan will receive the WTIA Chris Smallbone International Award 2009 to promote technology innovation in Australia through involvement in the outcomes of the WTIA and the International Institute of Welding (IIW).

He will receive a prize trip to attend the IIW Annual Assembly and International Conference being held from 10 to 17 July 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Nathan Larkin will receive the WTIA Sir William Hudson Memorial Award Research Support Category 2009.

The Awards will be presented at the WTIA Annual Awards Dinner on 12 May 2010 during National Manufacturing Week at the Novotel Hotel, Sydney Olympic Park.

Dr Callaghan and Mr Larkin are both Research Fellows of UOW’s Engineering Faculty and are involved in DMTC’s Armour Applications program. UOW is a Core Participant of DMTC.

DMTC’s CEO Dr Mark Hodge congratulates both men on their respective Awards, which are a richly deserved acknowledgement for the excellence of their work.

Award recipients Nathan Larkin (left) and Dr Mark Callaghan (right) in the laser-hybrid welding rig in the Manufacturing Research Laboratory. Photograph by Mark Newsham.

A new ‘technology demonstrator’ has been launched at the University of Wollongong will allow New South Wales industry to assess the latest manufacturing technology for adoption in the Defence supply chain.

The NSW node of the Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) was officially launched by the CEO of the DMTC, Dr Mark Hodge.

DMTC is a joint venture between Defence, industry, universities and government research agencies whose NSW node is supported by the NSW Government. NSW Government funding has enabled a technology demonstrator – the Lean Automation and Fabrication Facility – to be built at UOW for use by DMTC’s participants, including the University of Wollongong, BlueScope Steel, ANSTO, Bisalloy and several NSW Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Dr Hodge said the NSW node would assist NSW SMEs to participate in global defence supply chains in partnership with, or independently of, the leading prime contractors to the Australian Defence Force.

Professor John Norrish, Professor of Materials Welding and Joining at UOW and a Director of DMTC said the new technology demonstrator went a long way to furthering this goal.

“Many of the capabilities of the Lean Automation and Fabrication Facility involve advanced equipment which is not available elsewhere in NSW,” he said.

As part of their involvement in major research programs in Armour Applications and Maritime Platforms, DMTC’s NSW researchers are investigating more productive manufacturing processes for land-based vehicles and marine platforms.

This includes research into how the protective aspects of armoured personnel carriers made by Thales Australia can be maintained or improved while ensuring manufacturing processes are cost effective and competitive with potential imports.

“While the existing vehicle has been very successful in preventing injury and fatalities in the field, DMTC is committed to working with Thales, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation and its other participants to ensure this safety record is maintained and Australian Defence personnel are adequately protected,” Professor Norrish said.

“It is also important to maximise Australian content in defence platforms to support employment and capability. In this case, the supply chain for these vehicles includes materials supplied by BlueScope Steel and Bisalloy in the Illawarra region.”

UOW’s role is to investigate potential armour material improvements and production process such as welding which play an important role in vehicle manufacture. ANSTO is contributing valuable expertise in modelling of armour damage to improve material performance characterisation.

DMTC’s NSW node is also undertaking a practical assessment of the impact of improved body armour on Defence personnel performance.

“UOW has a long association with defence industry in the assessment of the physiological demands on Defence personnel and in particular the effects of wearing body armour,” Professor Norrish said.

Facilities of the new technology demonstrator include:

• Three state-of-the-art, multi-purpose robots (one mounted on a linear track)

• Rapid tool changers (to convert the robot from component positioning to welding and machining operations)

• Advanced welding process capabilities including: Tandem Gas Metal Arc Welding, Cold Metal Transfer and Laser Hybrid Gas Metal Arc Welding

• Industry standard safety systems

About DMTC:

The Defence Materials Technology Centre is a technology development joint venture that develops new materials and manufacturing technologies for the Australian defence sector. It has activities in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia. DMTC is the Australian Government’s first Defence Future Capability Technology Centre.

More defence work for Queensland manufacturers was previewed during the opening of a new research centre and manufacturing facilities in Brisbane today.

Ms Jan Jarratt MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Employment & Economic Development in Queensland officiated at the launch of the Queensland node of the Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) held at Millatec Engineering’s new facilities at Sherwood.

“Queensland is at the leading edge of Defence research in materials science,” says Dr Mark Hodge, CEO of DMTC. “Our Queensland researchers are working with local manufacturers to break down the barriers preventing them from taking part in the global defence supply chain.”

The DMTC is a joint venture between defence, industry, universities and government research agencies whose Queensland node is supported by the Queensland Government’s Smart Futures fund and managed by the CAST Cooperative Research Centre.

Along with major research programs in air platforms and propulsion systems, DMTC’s Queensland researchers are looking into so-called “enabling” technologies required for local fabrication of components based on new materials such as titanium. 

One area of significant interest is precision machining, the speciality of Brisbane-based company Millatec Engineering.

“As a participant in the DMTC our company has already benefited from a collaborative research project that has reduced the machining time of some components and boosted our productivity,” says James Johnson, managing director of Millatec. “We are looking forward to applying the same principles to titanium, stainless steel and tool steel machining activities.”

The improved capability within Millatec will increase turnover and create employment opportunities for a further three to six people. 

Millatec is one of the Queensland companies benefiting from the DMTC’s technology transfer program, which allows businesses to access DMTC technologies while working closely with the defence supply chain.

“Queensland SMEs will now be able to bid into global defence supply chains in partnership with or independently of the leading prime contractors to the Australian Defence Force,” says DMTC CEO Mark Hodge. 

In one example of the close R&D relationship between SMEs and defence contractors, Millatec is working with BAE Systems’ research team in Adelaide on benchmarking and other titanium machining activities.

The host of the launch, George Collins, CAST CEO predicts the node will benefit small and large Queensland manufacturers, “DMTC brings together Australia’s top experts and innovative companies to develop new materials and manufacturing technologies for defence applications.  These technologies can also be used in non-defence applications and will help companies maintain and win new manufacturing business from both Australia and overseas.”

The Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) will celebrate two official launch events in March.

DMTC’s Queensland participants will host a launch of the DMTC’s Queensland node and Millatec Engineering’s new Brisbane facilities, while NSW participants will host a launch of the DMTC’s NSW node and the Lean Automation Technology Demonstrator.

The Queensland event will be held on 9 March at Millatec’s Sherwood premises.

DMTC’s Queensland node hosts research programs in Air Platforms and Propulsion Systems.  In addition to these major research programs, the node also conducts research into enabling technologies (e.g. for machining, joining coatings, robotics and lean automation) that will be required for economical fabrication and maintenance of components based on new materials. 

The work on machining is of particular interest to local machining specialist and DMTC participant, Millatec Engineering.  The launch of the Queensland node coincided with Millatec moving into new premises so there will be two reasons to celebrate at the Queensland event.

 The NSW node of the Defence Materials Technology Centre and the Lean Automation Technology Demonstrator will be launched at the University of Wollongong on 24 March.

The NSW Technology Demonstrator includes several state-of-the-art robotic and welding facilities in an integrated cell which allows the latest manufacturing technology to be explored by industry partners. Many of the systems involved are unique within Australia.

The technology demonstrator was funded through the NSW Science Leverage Fund in support of DMTC. The University of Wollongong, ANSTO and Bluescope Steel are Core Participants of DMTC centre and Supporting Participants include a range of NSW SMEs. The research being carried out by UOW and ANSTO is mainly directed at improvements in Armour protection for land platforms and new materials and production technology for maritime platforms.

Dr Mark Hodge, DMTC CEO has showcased innovation case studies in defence industry at the Australian Defence Magazine Congress in Canberra today.

DMTC develops new materials and manufacturing technologies across air platforms, maritime platforms, propulsion systems and armour applications to enhance the future operations, readiness and sustainment of the Australian Defence Force.

The annual ADM Congress has evolved into a pivotal event in the Defence calendar, bringing together senior officials from all areas of the Australian Defence Force, Defence Materiel Organisation and defence industry.

Dr Hodge was part of a Panel of experts that included representatives from Rapid Prototyping, Development and Evaluation (RPDE), the Defence Industry Innovation Centre (DIIC) and Australian Defence Apparel (ADA).  

Dr Hodge and other Panel members highlighted the opportunities for industry to utilise DMTC and DIIC to leverage their R&D activities and provide a mechanism for linking up a range of Defence policy initiatives including cooperative research centre activities, Defence Science & Technology Organisation’s (DSTO’s) Corporate Enabling Research Program (CERP) and the Capability and Technology Demonstrator (CTD) Program. 

Using a new armour development activity as a case study, ADA commented that its involvement with DMTC and DIIC has allowed it to leverage its activities by a factor of four or higher, further noting it would have had great difficulty pursuing its corporate technology development objectives without its interactions through DMTC and DIIC.

Attracting over 250 delegates each year, ADM2010 will once more provide a valuable channel for communication between the players shaping the future of Australia’s defence and industry environment. The Australian Defence Magazine Congress was held at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra from 23 to 24 February 2010.