New UoW mining composites centre awarded $5 million funding

A new University of Wollongong-headquartered training centre with a lengthy name and a focus on sustainable mining has been awarded $5 million in funding from the Australian Research Council to support a five-year term.

The ARC Training Centre for Innovative Composites for the Future of Sustainable Mining Equipment has industry partners including Roobuck, Bisalloy Steels and SNS Unicorp and will train industry-focussed engineering researchers “in advanced manufacturing of new-generation mining equipment and sustainable mining technology” according to a statement from UoW on Thursday.

The Director of the new Centre is Distinguished Professor Zhengyi Jiang, who said that it would assist Australia to remain a world-leading innovator in the Mining Equipment, Technology and Service (METS) sector.

METS is estimated to be worth $92 billion to the Australian economy, and a direct employer of 300,000.   

“This Centre, by working with industry, will improve and streamline the research and development process, building a solid national network to address the needs of the mining equipment manufacturing, enhancing sustainability, and making a safer mining environment,” said Jiang.

The city was an ideal launch pad for global collaboration and innovation, added UoW’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Patricia Davidson, with “deeply held roots in mining and manufacturing”.

She added that, “Our state of the art engineering and technology hubs will offer the perfect environment to train the future minds of mining and to find solutions to revolutionise an industry that contributes 15 per cent of Australian GDP.”

Listed as goals for the centre through long-term research projects are:

• Develop new-generation innovative composites for mining equipment that can be applied in practical harsh working environments in deep mining, with the goal of significantly reducing environmental issues and improve worker health
• Develop advanced manufacturing technology of innovative mining equipment and smart mining technology to significantly advance the Australian mining industry with enhanced safety, reliability and efficiency of operations.
• Train industry-focused researchers in advanced manufacturing and mining with graduates equipped to solve complex problems in the development of novel steel composites, innovative mining equipment, and sustainable mining processes
• Improve Australia’s international standing for developing the innovative mining equipment materials and manufacturing processes, and facilitating the mining automation and safety in mining processing technology by strengthening engagement of research and manufacturing and mining industries and enhance the international competitiveness of the Australian mining industry.

Along with UoW, university partners for the centre are University of Queensland, Deakin University, University of Adelaide, Western Sydney University, University of New South Wales, and Curtin University. Industry partners include Roobuck, Bisalloy Steels, SNS Unicorp, HBIS Group, Baosteel Company, Komatsu Australia, Top Iron, Australia L&Y Mine Equipment Manufacturing.

Picture: supplied

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