Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Federal government lowers fees for offshore wind developers

The federal government said on Tuesday that it's “cutting financial burdens and red tape for offshore wind development”, and for the next two years will reduce application fees for transmission and infrastructure licences from $300,000 to $150,000. According to a statement from energy minister Chris Bowen, fees risked “becoming a barrier to investment in Australia” in the context of the global challenges facing offshore wind. Such projects currently in development off the coast of Australia could generate a claimed total of 24.21 gigawatts, or enough electricity for almost twice the nation's total total housing stock needs. “We recognise that the industry currently faces economic pressures and we are acting accordingly with temporary relief,” said Bowen.

Patent filed for fire-resistant construction graphene materials

First Graphene has said that patents for novel flame-resistant materials containing its proprietary PureGRAPH product, developed by UK-based partner Vector Group, have been filed in Europe, Asia and the United States. According to a statement from ASX-listed First Graphene on Tuesday, recent testing of the graphene-enhanced material demonstrated “excellent flame resistance and mechanical performance”, with a self-extinguishing rate of 100 per cent in various formulations containing a range of loadings. Tensile and modulus performance were also improved. First Graphene Managing Director and CEO Michael Bell said the filings represented “a major milestone for both companies as well as the broader construction industry… We look forward to seeing the patent progress and are excited to take the next step in our journey  with Vector Group as we work towards commercialisation of this industry-changing material.”

Researchers trial humans and robot construction teams

Monash University says its researchers have trialled a new system demonstrating how humans and robots can team up on the job to make construction faster, safer and less physically demanding. The team, led by Dr Yihai Fang, developed a smart planning system that determines which tasks robots should handle and which should remain with human workers, as well as incorporating human fatigue into the planning process, Monash said this week. The researchers simulated humans and robots assembling a timber floor frame for a three-bedroom unit, breaking the work into 71 tasks. Using real data from a UR10e robotic arm and MiR100 mobile robot, they measured task completion time, productivity, and physical fatigue. Fang said findings showed carefully allocating tasks and sequencing workflows made construction more efficient while easing the physical demands on humans. The study's first author Dr Will Wang said: “It’s exciting to see how off-site prefabrication and smart on-site collaboration could actually make construction safer and faster for workers.” Their paper can be seen here.

QUT, MIT Sloan School renew partnership with five-year agreement

Queensland University of Technology says it has strengthened its position as a global innovation centre in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics with a new five-year collaboration with the world-renowned MIT Sloan School of Management. According to a statement from the university, the agreement focusses on “innovation, entrepreneurship and academic exchange,” and presents “significant research and education opportunities” for the state. Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil it will continue to provide a platform to for commercial opportunities in areas such as clean energy research, including in biofuels, and enhancing impact and sustainability, with joint programs positioning Queensland as a globally-connected innovation hub. The pair had previously announced a five-year agreement in 2019.

Infuzions air fries gets into Ampol stations

Family-owned snackfood brand Majans has announced that its Infuzions Air Fries — “the lighter, better-for-you alternative to potato chips” are now being distributed through Ampol Foodary service stations across Australia. The 90-gram share packs are available in aioli, tomato sauce and peri peri flavours. “Whether it's a family road trip or a quick stop on the daily commute, Air Fries are designed for the modern, healthy Aussie on the move,” says Rick Raniga, Director at Brisbane-based Majans. “They're light, crunchy, and full of flavour – the ultimate road trip snack that everyone in the car can enjoy.”

Plastic foam manufacturing in Australia stable: report

IBISWorld's new Plastic Foam Product Manufacturing in Australia – Market Research Report (2015-2030) finds the industry currently worth approximately $535 million in revenues, seeing a compound annual growth rate 1.1 per cent over the past five years. The three leading companies are Joyce Foam, Sleepyhead and Huntsman Chemical Australia, in a category that includes 115 businesses and products such as expanded polystyrene, polyurethane, extruded polystyrene, dry foam, latex foam, memory foam and reticulated foam products. The level of competition is described as high and increasing, and the industry is expected to grow in the coming years, though the rate was not given in a summary of the research.

GMG launches new product catalogue

Brisbane-based nanomaterials company Graphene Manufacturing Group has launched a new global product catalogue, including heat exchange coating and lubricant products under the THERMAL-XR and G LUBRICANT brands. The range is available to distributors in cartons and pallets, and includes a new including a new THERMAL-XR Kit with an electric spray gun for easy use. The catalogue is available in 16 languages – English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Turkish, Indonesian, Hindi, Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Arabic, with all product labels and instruction manuals including the same languages “for easy multi country global distribution.” CEO Craig Nicol said “We believe this is the first palletised product catalogue for graphene enhanced products ever in the world and the GMG team is very proud to bring this to market in such a fashion.”

Iondrive, Livium partner up on recycling

Fellow ASX-listed battery recycling technology companies Iondrive and Livium have signed an agreement covering the use of Iondrive’s deep eutectic solvent (DES) technology applied to waste from spent clean energy products. According to a statement from Iondrive on Wednesday, it has signed a binding term sheet with Livium, which will provide end of life solar panels, lithium-ion battery black mass, rare earths and other samples for evaluation using Iondrive’s DES process. Results of the trials “will inform techno-economic assessments and support the negotiation of commercial supply and co-location agreements” and companies said there was a combination of Livium’s feedstock access and logistics with Iondrive’s novel DES chemistry. Livium's CEO Simon Linge added that the development “has the potential to unlock new recovery pathways and accelerate the development of a domestic processing of Australia’s clean energy waste.”

Picture: credit First Graphene