Local manufacturers big supporters of STEM

Sutton Tools and Nichol Industries were the major prize sponsors of the Vernier Foundation’s ‘Inter-schools STEM Competition’, held at Kooyong Tennis Club in Melbourne recently.

Teams from Dandenong High School and St Margaret’s Berwick battled it out in a competitive but light-hearted challenge, with St. Margaret’s taking the trophy in the end by just one point! The Vernier Foundation has been proud supporters of the STEM programs in both schools for some years now. Dandenong High School has run its STEM initiative for six years now, with a high percentage of immigrant and refugee students. The STEM support program at St. Margaret’s is still in its infancy but keen to attract more girls towards a career in engineering and manufacturing.

The audience were also entertained in a musical interlude by students from both schools, demonstrating that the A for arts should not be forgotten in the focus on STEM. The overall event was sponsored by the Foundation’s originator, the Vernier Society and several of their member manufacturers were in the audience. Andrews Engineering, Balcombe Engineering, Dimac Tooling, Ace Wire and Okuma must all be looking forward to the future prospect of attracting such bright students into their organisations.

While the Foundation hopes the new government will put much more funding into STEM programs in secondary schools, they also believe strongly that the manufacturing industry itself needs to do much more to support community schools in STEM. The Foundation clearly aims to play a part through their members donations and support for their big plans in 2023, including a planned ‘industry/ school visit’ program; the provision of specialists from industry supporting STEM teaching in schools, the introduction of more schools into their funding program and the exciting prospect of an ‘education’ involvement at AMTIL’s Manufacturing Week in Melbourne in May!

The Foundation believes this inaugural challenge was a big success and hopes to expand it to more schools in the coming years. Anyone who has a passion for manufacturing and believes our education system needs all the support it can get, should contact the Foundation through their website, which is also going to be upgraded in 2023. vernier.org.au

Textor textiles

Key to success in manufacturing is differentiation through innovation in textiles.

CSIRO and Textor have co-invested to conduct research into the surface treatments of textiles using plasma; understanding moisture transport via capillary action; odour reduction; and new composite web structures.

Textor Technologies, a Victorian family-owned company, produces an array of technical textiles used in health care, personal hygiene and industrial products.

These technical textiles that make up incontinence products in particular, focus on moisture management through permeable barrier materials. The competitive technical advantage in this product sector, comes from material with advanced fluid absorption. Textor's goal was to enter the international market by demonstrating a significant technical advantage over competitive products, many of which are produced in low labour cost countries.

This research has culminated in the invention of a novel threedimensional fabric that is employed as a next-to-skin component of predominantly infant diapers. The fabric is highly effective in facilitating moisture movement away from the 'point of insult' and into the absorbent layer of the diaper whilst maintaining a sense of dryness, and hence comfort, to the wearer.

CSIRO's commercial engagement with Textor resulted in a new product development, in turn increasing annual gross turnover. The new material has been incorporated into the millions of nappies produced around the world by global company Kimberly-Clark.

Australian manufacturing constantly faces pressure from increasing production costs and mounting global competition. To increase market share our manufacturing businesses need to grow through competitive advantage, and improved profitability.

Entering and expanding into international markets is vital for the longevity of Australia's manufacturing industry. It is important that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) receive the research and development resources and capabilities which allow them to maintain competitiveness in the global market.

CSIRO and Textor co-invested, initially through the then Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and ‘Researcher in Business’ Program, and later via sequential bilateral arrangements, to conduct research into:

• surface treatments of textiles using plasma

• understanding moisture transport via capillary action

• odour reduction; and new composite web structures.

Ultimately, the research culminated in the invention of a novel threedimensional fabric that is employed as a next-to-skin component of predominantly infant diapers.

The fabric, produced via hydroentanglement, is highly effective in facilitating moisture movement away from the 'point of insult' and into the absorbent layer of the diaper whilst maintaining a sense of dryness, and hence comfort, to the wearer. csiro.au