University of Southern Queensland

The University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) is home to one of Australia’s largest dedicated composite materials manufacturing and testing facilities.

The UniSQ Centre for Future Materials conducts pioneering research and development in engineered fibre composites, advanced composite manufacturing, civil composites, smart materials, and geopolymer and concrete. The Centre provides novel design, manufacture and testing for the civil construction sector, the aerospace, space and defence industries. Expertise in liquid moulding technologies, automated fibre placement, pultrusion and filament winding capabilities with advanced process modelling tools provide a unique opportunity to develop structures that are lightweight, repeatable and financially sustainable. 

UniSQ Research Facilities include:

• Filament winding facility: Australia’s most advanced 8-axis filament winder to support pressure tank research and ultra-high temperature oxide processing. 

• Dual layer robotic braiding facility capable of manufacturing high performance complex tubular composite structures for defence and space applications.

• Resin infusion composite manufacturing: Aerospace grade composite manufacturing and characterisation equipment.

• Process and in-service sensing systems including the only system in the world for 16,000 node pressure sensor mats for monitoring pressure evolution in vacuum and autoclave processing (0 to 12 bar). A Dielectric Analysis to monitor internal laminate cure progression and a full field digital image correlation strain mapping system.

• Fire and thermal performance including a full fire testing and analysis suite with a blast furnace which reaches 3500°.