UniSA opens $10 million Precision Engineering Centre

The University of South Australia (UniSA) is officially opening its $10 million Precision Engineering Centre at Mawson Lakes tomorrow, showcasing new advanced optics capabilities that the university says will transform a range of industries.

The centre — housing lab-on-a-chip technology, micro- and nano-machining equipment, advanced sensing and state-of-the-art precision optics capabilities and expertise — is understood to be the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

The result of a decade-long collaboration between the SA Node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF-SA) and the Research Engineering (RE) team at the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), the centre is literally at the cutting edge of defence manufacturing.

Its recent creations include the largest diamond-turned mirror in Australia, made with a multi-axis, ultra-precision machining system, and some of the tiniest sensors that are helping to secure the future of South Australia’s advanced manufacturing sector.

The pioneering precision engineering facility is transforming a range of sectors of strategic national importance, including defence, health and medical fields, manufacturing, mining, recycling and clean energy, water security, space and agriculture.

UniSA’s Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research and Enterprise, Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington, said the the university is proud to help advance Australia’s defence manufacturing sovereignty through DSTG’s Capital Refresh Program, which is providing researchers with ultrahigh-end fabrication and test equipment.

“The dynamic 10-year partnership between ANFF-SA and DSTG’s Research Engineering team has consistently demonstrated innovative solutions to mitigate risks associated with new technology,” she said. “The collaboration extends well beyond any physical infrastructure. It encompasses top-tier technical expertise and the cultivation of emerging talent, with a mutual desire to be trailblazers.”

DSTG RE Program Leader Ben Barona said the collaboration with ANFF-SA is positioning the state as a global leader in innovative manufacturing.

“Combining ANFF-SA’s expertise and capabilities with DSTG’s science and technology applications, we’ve developed a truly integrated fabrication and testing capability with the Precision Engineering Centre. This paves the way for novel technologies and significant advancements in space optics and complex rapid prototyping,” he said. “ANFF-SA’s industry collaborations have also been pivotal, contributing to a significant boost in research capability and fostering an expanding local skills base.”

The centre, which is supported by UniSA along with the state and federal governments, will be officially opened at UniSA’s Mawson Lakes campus on Wednesday, 13 December.

Image: Michael Harding, DSTG Optics Capability Leader, in the new centre.