BREAKING NEWS Sydney's ‘Factory of The Future’ Ready to Drive Statewide Innovation
UQ Research Unlocks the Technology to Produce Unbreakable Screens
The University of Sydney recently launched a $25 million facility to drive innovation and foster industrial output. The Sydney Manufacturing Hub is a research facility that will deliver cutting-edge research and development in additive manufacturing and materials processing. It will enable concept-to-production demonstration capabilities, including advanced pre- and post-processing of materials for faculty, students, small and medium-sized companies, and larger companies. The University of Sydney’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Scott AO, said the university has continued to demonstrate its capability as a leader in the region by working closely with the public and private sectors. “The Sydney Manufacturing Hub, situated in Darlington at the very heart of 'Tech Central' is a key demonstrator for what's ultimately possible when government, industry and higher education work together on high-impact technologies.” The hub provides for design, topological optimisation, the 3D printing of metals, ceramics and polymers. It also paves the way for new technology in industries like aerospace, autonomous vehicles, biomedical, defence, maritime, and robotics. The NSW Minister for Trade and Industry, the Hon Stuart Ayres MP said the facility is a gamechanger. "The concept of modern and additive manufacturing, rather than deductive manufacturing, is completely changing the opportunities that are available to Australians.” Together, additive manufacturing is a transformative approach to industrial production that enables the creation of lighter, stronger parts and systems. It is yet another technological advancement made possible by the transition from analogue to digital processes. The hub is based at the University of Sydney's engineering precinct at its Darlington campus.
Luminating composite glasses. Image credit: University of Queensland (UQ).
Research conducted at the University of Queensland could make cracked phone screens a thing of the past. A global team of researchers, led by Dr Jingwei Hou, Professor Lianzhou Wang and Professor Vicki Chen, have unlocked technology to produce next-generation composite glass for lighting LEDs. This development could ultimately change smartphone, television and computer screen usage and protection. Dr Hou said the discovery was a huge step forward in perovskite nanocrystal technology. “The emitting materials are made from nanocrystals, called lead-halide perovskites.” “They can harvest sunlight and concert it into renewable electricity - playing a vital role in low-cost and highefficiency new generation solar cells and many promising applications like lighting,” Dr Hou explained. Researchers have previously only produced this technology in the bone-dry atmosphere of a laboratory setting. “Unfortunately, these nanocrystals are extremely sensitive to light, heat, air and water—even water vapour in our air would kill the current devices in a matter of minutes,” Dr Hou said. The findings will manufacture glass screens that are not only unbreakable but also deliver crystal clear image quality. “Our team of chemical engineers and material scientists has developed a process to wrap or bind the nanocrystals in porous glass. This process is key to stabilising the materials, enhancing its efficiency and inhibits the toxic lead ions from leaching out from the materials,” Dr Hou said. This research is a collaborative effort between the University of Queensland, the University of Leeds, Université Paris-Saclay and University of Cambridge.
University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Scott AO and University of Sydney Chancellor Belinda Hutchinson AC with the Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney and Minister for Trade and Industry the Hon. Stuart Ayres at the launch of the Sydney Manufacturing Hub. Image credit: Bill Green/ University of Sydney.
36 | APRIL 2022
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Dr Jingwei Hou, Professor Lianzhou Wang, and Professor Vicki Chen. Image credit: University of Queensland (UQ).
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