The Advanced Fibre Cluster is pleased to announce the addition of two new members – GMS Composites and Urban Service Solutions – as part of a growing program to build business and research collaboration.
GMS Composites delivers a range of specialised, high performance composite prepreg solutions for demanding advanced composites customers worldwide. The innovative Australian manufacturer is leading the way in carbon fibre and other “prepregs” or “pre-impregnated” composites. These are woven and other specialty fabrics which have been combined with a thermoset polymer matrix material, such as epoxy, or a thermoplastic resin.
All GMS Composites’ standard and bespoke manufactured prepreg products are researched and developed in-house. R & D programs are carried out in close cooperation with a range of Australian research institutes and universities. As well as offering a standard range, the company has particular expertise in developing and supplying custom-designed prepregs for products in the Aerospace, Ballistic & Defence, Automotive & Motorsport, Sports & Leisure, Marine, and Rail & Transportation markets.
Urban Service Solutions is a Victorian regional business that has provided waste and recycling services to local government for more than 25 years. Urban recently built a 3700 metre indoor private transfer station on a 36,000 square metre site near Maddingley, Victoria.
Urban has joined the Advanced Fibre Cluster as part of a broader strategy to build a “Circular Economy” precinct in and around Geelong and Deakin University, bringing its recycling and logistics expertise to support sustainable manufacture of carbon fibre composites in Australia.
Increased awareness of the need for sustainable and viable production is driving a growing focus on ‘closed loop’ supply chains – in other words, a ‘circular economy’ where existing materials are recycled to be used again for their original function or re-purposed and new materials and processes are created.
The Advanced Fibre Cluster has identified more than 20 companies across Australia that currently use a form of recycled carbon fibre in their products – either milled or chopped carbon fibre or materials such as non-woven carbon fibre fabric or stitched mat.
A number of processes already exist to reclaim the carbon fibres from industrial waste or end-of-life products.
Watch this space over coming weeks for more as we develop our strategy to support the circular economy.
Oct 2019