Russell Brown, Enzo Palombo and David Filipenko standing next to Viridi's processing equipment

Russell Brown, Enzo Palombo and David Filipenko standing next to Viridi’s processing equipment

 

Austeng is proud to have been the engineering partner with start-up company Viridi Innovations to develop a highly effective process that transforms grape seed otherwise destined for land-fill into high value nutrients in a cost effective way as part of a project facilitated by the Fight Food Waste Co-Operative Research Centre.

Hopefully this will make local Australian wine-growers more sustainable and competitive on the global stage.

Participants were also industry partner Swisse Wellness and research partner Swinburne University of Technology

Link to media release here: Viridi Media Release 3.4.23

 

Viridi Processing Equipment

Viridi Grape Seed Processing Equipment

Austeng has helped develop RenewOak’s process of rejuvenating wine barrels that ordinarily would be discarded after four or five years. The RenewOak process uses an abrasive slurry to “sand” internal surfaces without dismantling the barrel. The chemical free process removes all barrel residues along with a fine layer of oak, leaving a clean finish ready to impart the desired properties into the wine.

Austeng has designed and built an automated, mobile unit to allow it to be taken from winery to winery. Not only does the process extend the life of barrels, it reduces the environmental impact of barrel use and provides huge economic benefits to the wine industry by making it more globally efficient.

Austeng Managing Director Ross George said that the RenewOak technology had the potential to launch around the world. Please see attached article from the Geelong Advertiser, and to learn more please check out the RenewOak Website.

RenewOak's mobile wine barrel rejuvenating unit

RenewOak’s mobile wine barrel rejuvenating unit

We are proud to have been involved as a key project partner in Monash University’s world leading impact testing equipment.  Austeng engineered, manufactured and installed the state of the art Impact Testing Facility in line with the University’s stringent requirements.

The research facility unveiled in December 2020 is designed to observe the behaviour of elements under severe impact loadings thereby promoting the structural safety of present and future high risk infrastructure.

Chris Powell (Monash Civil Engineering) commented;

“It has over many years become very difficult to find capable engineering manufacturers who are willing to take on concept or prototype work, Austeng have the flare, expertise and a willingness to take on these “left of centre projects” ……. to the benefit of institutions like ours and others.
Austeng are local, had the capacity and ability to undertake this project with an acceptable budget and timeframe.
A very successful outcome has been achieved with expertise within Australia which is a rare occurrence these days.”

See videos of the unit during testing

See Geelong Advertiser article 21/12/2020

Monash impact testing

GFR GEOPOLYMERS BRIDGES ARE HERE!

It was certainly well worth the wait – the glass fibre reinforced geopolymer bridges (100 years plus maintenance free) have arrived!
Great collaboration with Rocla Australia, City of Greater Geelong, Deakin University and Inconmat.

These bridges deliver not only huge environmental benefits but also many the novel combined materials used have many superior qualities vis-à-vis cement including the avoidance of concrete cancer.

These bridges represent a vision into the future of pre-cast concrete as they do not container any OPC (cement) or steel and are designed to last over 100 years.

Geopolymer Bridges Brochure

City of Greater Geelong Construction Time Lapse Footage 

Drone Footage of GFR Bridges

Drone Footage of GFR Bridges #2

Geelong Addy 260421 ‘Bridging Gap to Greener Building’

Radio Interview with Ross George

Development

City of Greater Geelong, Austeng Nth Geelong . Fiber Reinforced Geopolymer pedestrian bridge demonstration.Cogg’s Chris Marston , Luke Smith , Austeng , Ross George, Austeng and Aaron McGlade from Cogg on the Bridge

Austeng, along with successful consortia partners Rocla and Deakin University are the successful tenderers in the City of Greater Geelong tender for two 100 year maintenance-free pedestrian bridges in a pioneering procurement for innovation process.

The bridges are being constructed with Geopolymer material and reinforced by fibre reinforcing rods comprising a host of structural and environmental benefits thus ensuring that ‘concrete cancer’ won’t eventuate.

It is intended that once these bridges are installed they will then be rolled out nationally.

Geelong Advertiser 010719 Concrete success set to beam ’em up

Geelong Advertiser 160320 New way to beat bridge’s acid soil

Geelong Advertiser Business 130720 Austeng tests 100-year maintenance free bridge

Geelong Advertiser 130720 Tests prove bridge has been made to last

Austeng is pleased to be part of Viridi Innovation’s commercialisation journey to take their technology transforming grape marc and seed (leftover from the wine production process) and transform them into grape seed extract, a highly sought after ingredient in the Australian nutraceutical industry.

See Fight Food Waste CRC:  Turning wine industry waste into premium products 180520

See @AuManufacturing article Hitting the Marc: Australian work aims to salvage value from winery waste

Austeng is proud to be partnering with TCI to manufacture and export to the Canada and the U.S. an industrial hemp decorticator (that separates and processes stalk into hurd and fibre) thereby establishing technology that solves a 10,000 year old challenge in the industry.

http://www.textilecomposite.industries/

Geelong Advertiser 10/06/19

Geelong Advertiser 10/06/19

 

Geelong Advertiser 11/06/14

TCI D8 Decorticator

Austeng has collaborated with Capricorn Power to run successful trials to support the technical development of what is potentially the world’s most efficient heat to electricity generation system, based on a theoretically proven flow-sheet.  The “Barton Engine” turns customers waste heat into low cost electricity thereby reducing emissions.

Applications include primary energy sources from renewables (biomass, geothermal, solar-thermal), methane flare gas (waste recovery treatment, rubbish heaps) and waste heat recovery from industrial processes.

Design is currently underway for a 20kW prototype.

See Capricorn Power Brochure

Former treasurer to head energy project Geelong Advertiser 17/8

For further information contact Ross George or visit www.capricornpower.com.au

Austeng has collaborated with Imagine Intelligent Materials Pty Ltd (Imagine IM) in building the first commercial graphene plant in Australia. It was officially launched by local MP Sarah Henderson. The pilot plant will produce up to 10 tonnes of graphene per year, built for Imagine IM by Austeng.

Graphene is a revolutionary two dimensional atomic scale carbon material with unmatched properties and is expected to revolutionise industry and consumer products over the next twenty years. Graphene is widely seen as a new platform material for advanced manufacturing, wtih applications including electronics, fashion and sports wearable technology, mining, water conservation and purification, automotive structures and energy storage. Imagine IM has developed a graphene coating technology that enables the production of a world-first conductive geotextile that will be manufactured and launched into the Australian marketplace by Geofabrics Australasia later in 2016.

According to Ross George, MD of Austeng, “We were determined to be involved in bringing graphene manufacturing to Geelong, by fabricating Australia’s first commercial graphene manufacturing plant for Imagine IM. We love the vision that Imagine IM has and believe that building Imagine IM’s initial plant will lead to Austeng developing the skills and knowledge to build further plants that will be exported to the world. Phil Aitchison, COO and Head of R&D at Imagine IM, says, “This project has involved all roads leading to Geelong. Austeng came highly recommended as tech enablers and unrelatedly, we have undertaken R&D work at both CSIRO in Geelong and Deakin University. Geelong is one of the most innovative Australian cities in which to work”.

See Geelong Advertiser (15/06/2016) article  here.

See Manufacturer’s Monthly article (April 2016) here.

Imagine IM is developing a ‘Smart Mat’ in response to Covid-19 safe social distancing requirements.  The On-Q-Mat asks like a traffic light to identify if social distance is being achieved over the mat area.  Read more in:

Stand Safely on New Matting Geelong Advertiser 14/08/20

Austeng has successfully collaborated with local based bio-technology company Cytomatrix Pty Ltd and Deakin University to manufacture a world first manufacturing plant for the production of “novel” short nanofibres, a new class of high value materials that open up a side range of new applications in bio-technology, medicine, materials science and other fields).

Austeng provided practical know how and engineering expertise to design and build a scalable machine with manufacturing capability.  In particular, it used its experience in fluid systems to provide ratio control via piston pumps (a novel but simple solution) with Cytomatrix/Deakin providing the short nanofibre know how and a rapid prototyping capabilities including 3D printed components.

An innovative State Government funding model (Skilling By The Bay grant) has enabled the realisation of this new manufacturing capability offering new employment opportunities in the region.

Key engineering innovations of this project derive from design principles of the aeronautic and auto industries applied in an entirely-new context to generate these highly-tunable nano-scale fibre materials.  The dynamic and interactive University/Industry collaboration during the design process and the joint commitment to future R&D was a further highlight of this project.

Austeng manufactured customised high temperature (550°C) three-way exhaust gas modulating diverter valves for co-generation application in mining context with extreme ambient/operating conditions.

This ground-breaking valve has a full-face 100% positive seal and has advantages in terms of preventing excess heat load reaching absorption chiller in by-pass position thus better protecting expensive chiller equipment.

The valves are engineered to withstand detonation pressures of up to 700kPa in the event of an unburnt fuel explosion.

Austeng workd closely with Air Solutions Pty. Ltd. to develop this innovative solution.

An innovative State Government funding model has enabled local biotechnology company Cytomatrix, Deakin University and Geelong based engineers and manufacturing company Austeng to collaborate to create a new manufacturing capability and employment opportunity in the region, building on Geelong’s long history of innovation in the fibre and textile field.

Local biotechnology company, Cytomatrix and Deakin University have together developed a world-leading new method for making short nanofibres – that is, fibres with diameters in the nanometre range, and length in the micron range.  These new fibres open up a wide range of new possibilities for the application of nanotechnology  in materials science, biotechnology and other fields.

Austeng, Cytomatrix and Deakin University collaborated to design and build a simple prototype nano fibre production machine to use these ‘short’ nano fibres to promote the growth of stem cells.

Austeng’s latest role is to design and manufacture a pilot scale manufacturing plant to produce nanofibres for use in the medical filtration industry.  Nanofunctionalisation of filters is an established process for high end filters.

Cytomatrix is essentially a “translation company” whose core focus is the development and commercialisation of technologies developed by academics.  Cytomatrix CEO Mark Kirkland commented that “Austeng was chosen as its industry partner due to its proven track record in the area of developing and commercialising technologies and due to its ability to cover all engineering aspects of the project from design, manufacture through to installation/commissioning and ongoing modifications and servicing.  The design process has consisted of a fruitful and ultimately successful sharing and inter-change of ideas and concepts from experts from quite different disciplines in academia and industry.

A key goal of the pilot plant will be to demonstrate in-line deposition of nanofibres onto filter membranes in a rapid and reliable way.

Manufacturing challenges include:

  • Improved process control – automation of valves and control systems, linkage to computer for process control and monitoring
  • Temperature monitoring systems – temperature is a critical variable in the manufacturing process, so the new system will operate over a wide range of temperatures from -50° to +30°C
  • Improved access to key components of the system for cleaning and maintenance
  • Increased use of 3D printed components
  • Improved fluid handling to enable a full range of dispersants to be utilised including flammable fluids
  • Scalability – larger fluid handling systems, larger hydrofoils for polymer injection.

Over the last three years we have been working with the Renewable Energy Solutions Pty. Ltd. (RESA) team to develop, refine and manufacture their innovative, efficient and virtually silent Eco Whisper Turbine (EWT 625).  This exciting new development in green energy is designed to off-set small to large energy requirements for manufacturing and industrial sites, urban development and rural sites and in revolutionising green energy.  (See attached link to presentation by Lyn George of Austeng to Geelong Manufacturing Council or link to www.ecowhisper.com.au).

Background to Process

  • Initial referral from ICN
    • Reputation as innovative, flexible and multi-skilled
  • 1st Stage
    • Part of multi-disciplinary Team “brain storming” ideas.  Experts covering:-
      • Generator development and supply
      • Engineering/design/certification
      • Power inverter and grid connection
      • Manufacture
      • Foundations and engineering
      • Installation and erection
  • 2nd Stage
    • Manufacture first production prototype
  • 3rd Stage
    • Testing and certification
  • 4th Stage
    • Production of first commercial models located at Tullamarine.

Over the last 18 months we have undertaken further work with RESA on a smaller version (EWT 325) that will suit smaller rural and domestic sites.

Article Geelong Advertiser 24/5/2012
Article Herald Sun 7/3/12
Article Geelong Times 9/11/2011
Article Geelong Advertiser 2/8/2011

Premium manufacture wardrobe and shower screen doors in a competitive environment where if they are to maintain an advantage over foreign imports, they must offer doors made to any size their customer requires at very short notice.

To assist in this process, Austeng has designed and manufactured a prototype machine to fit all edge trims as the first stage on automating their  assembly process, allowing faster production and more consistent quality with less unskilled labour input.

Paper Industry Projects

  • Automatic robotics paper stacking and baling equipment for A.P.M Maryvale
  • Paper reel splitter for A.P.M. Maryvale and Wesleyvale

Screen Printing Industry Projects

  • A variety of specialist Drying equipment for Intergraphic Technologies Pty. Ltd. incorporating Ultra Violet, Infra Red and forced convection. These dryers are conveyorised and designed to meet clients production needs.
  • Self contained, totally enclosed Screen Wash Facility used in the printing industry. This machine cleans ink from print screens up to 3.0 x 2.0 m and also removes the photo-image stencil. The demand for this equipment was generated by the latest O.H & S and Environmental Regulations.

Petroleum Industry Projects

  • Special purpose, self propelled, hydraulic hoist/crane unit designed to install and remove for service 77.5 tonne cooling vessels beneath the catalytic cracker for Shell Refinery in Geelong.

Manufacture & customisation of various fire training simulation equipment for Dutch based company Haagen.  These are stand alone gas fired units that can be positioned virtually anywhere around the training site.  The equipment included the following scenarios:- car fire, industrial (electrical motor fire, gas cylinder fire) and domestic (couch, TV & store fires) containers.  As well as flame generation the equipment has embedded options for smoke generation & sound effects.

Fire Training Simulator

© Copyright Austeng | Webdesign by Gravit