CSIRO and Swinburne launch Industry 4.0 Testlab

CSIRO and Swinburne are demonstrating the future of Australian manufacturing at a new Swinburne-CSIRO National Industry 4.0 Testlab which includes a world-first process for the additive manufacturing of carbon fibre composite materials.

Today, the Testlab showcased its world-first fully automated industrial-scale production facility using a 3D-printing approach to composite component creation.

Based at CSIRO’s Clayton facility, the Swinburne-CSIRO National Industry 4.0 Testlab supports R&D for Swinburne’s Aerostructures Innovation Research (AIR) Hub, Victorian Hydrogen Hub, ARC Research Hub for Future Digital Manufacturing, and collaborations with CSIRO’s Data61 arm.

CSIRO Chief Scientist Professor Bronwyn Fox said: “Australia’s future depends on having a world class advanced manufacturing capability and Testlab has been purpose-built on the cutting edge of what we need to succeed in the era of Industry 4.0.

“It is a facility that gives us the ability to generate, translate and accelerate research, training and technology into opportunities and competitive advantage for Australia.

“Testlab’s real power is collaboration – it brings together the people, the capabilities and the intention to deliver benefits for the nation through generous collaboration between Swinburne, CSIRO and other key players in Australia’s research and innovation system.”

Professor Fox is a former Swinburne Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Enterprise and Director of Swinburne’s Factory of the Future.

A Global Innovation Linkages program project is another initiative of the facility.

Developing a highly automated, flexible approach to the manufacturing process, the project integrates world-first 3D fibre printing technology with a unique composite curing process and digitisation technologies, according to CSIRO.

This will achieve a leap forward in increasing the production rates and quality of composite part manufacture, while significantly lowering the cost of production.

Industry 4.0 Testlab Research Director Professor Boris Eisenbart said: “Testlab is already supporting groundbreaking projects in areas like aerospace, automotive, 3D printing and digital twinning.

“This is only the start for this world-leading facility, and I am excited for what we can do next to continue to build our partnership with CSIRO and our industry network.”

Picture: Professor Bronwyn Fox