MINNEAPOLIS, 26 Nov. 2012. Despatch Industries, provider of thermal process technologies for carbon fiber production based in Minneapolis, set up the carbon fiber pilot equipment line for the Australian Carbon Nexus research facility at Deakin University's Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus in Victoria, Australia.
The facility, to be completed in 2013, will house the 20 ton per annum carbon fiber pilot line and a complete micro-scale Carbon Fiber Research production line, both provided by Despatch Industries.
"Having both the CFR and the pilot-scale production lines in house will allow the Carbon Nexus to service the R&D needs of any carbon fiber manufacturer. The capabilities of the Deakin team and the equipment in the Carbon Nexus facility will be unmatched by any other carbon fiber research institution,” says Despatch Industries' CTO Steve Atkiss.
"We are pleased to have the opportunity to see the pilot equipment line set up and running and to be able to run our qualification and performance tests prior to shipment," says Brad Dunstan, CEO of VCAMM and partner in Carbon Nexus. "The capability that the Despatch pilot line brings uniquely positions the Carbon Nexus facility globally. We look forward to its final commissioning in Australia next year so the fundamental industrial research can commence in earnest."
The $34 million Carbon Nexus research facility is being developed by Deakin University and the Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing (VCAMM) with support from the Victorian and Australian Governments. Carbon Nexus will deliver a University-based, industrial-scale research capability and will support the growth of new carbon fiber-based high-tech firms in Australia. This initiative is part of the $104 million Australian Future Fibres Research and Innovation Centre (AFFRIC), which is funded by the Australian Government, Deakin, and CSIRO.
VCAMM Ltd., the Victorian Center for Advanced Materials Manufacturing, is a not-for-profit company representing a consortium of public R&D organizations.
Deakin University is home to the Center for Materials and Fiber Innovation (CMFI) within the Institute for Technology Research and Innovation. Internationally renowned for its research in composites, fibers, and nanomaterials, CMFI will lead the Carbon Fiber research at the ACFRF.
