A new research facility has opened in Waurn Ponds to help reduce waste and develop sustainable fabrics in a quicker time-frame.
Deakin University unveiled the new Future Fibres Facility at its Waurn Ponds campus in Geelong on August 25 during the launch of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Hub for Future Fibres.
Future Fibres Hub Director Professor Joe Razal said the facility would help research teams take new ideas through the prototype and production stage to create fabrics generated from waste products.
“In the past, we could produce a sample of a new material, but not a whole garment. We couldn’t go from lab to label before,” he said.
“Thanks to our new Future Fibres Facility, the final steps in that process are now available.”
Professor Razal said the hub featured fibre production, yarn processing equipment, and specialised knitting and weaving machines to create products with less “environmental impacts”.
“The research focuses on solving real-world problems and discovering ways to reduce waste from the manufacturing process,” he said.
“This not only benefits the local community with highly skilled jobs but also enhances our international reputation for innovation in Australia.”
Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin said work supported by the new fibre facility would benefit many industries, like automotive, mining and fashion, through partnership projects.
“These projects also have a strong sustainability and circular economy focus,” he said.
“This includes the generation of fibres from new and sustainable sources, as well as fibres that can be recovered and reused.
“By creating smarter materials and technology, this work will contribute to Deakin’s mission to translate ideas to impact.
“Fostering innovation that strengthens the economy and enables a sustainable world.”
The Futures Fibres Facility is a collaboration between ARC, Deakin, and CSIRO, with university and industry partners, that use world-class research teams and facilities at Deakin’s Insitute for Frontier Materials.
