Maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade of aircraft

Overview

Swinburne hosts one of Australia’s largest and most active aerospace research collaborations: the Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub).

AIR Hub, a secure and dedicated aerospace research hub, is developing the next generation of air vehicles designed for cost-effective, high-rate production, suitable for unmanned aerial systems, advanced air mobility, and space.

AIR Hub is currently overseeing the exploration of hydrogen gas (H2) as an environmentally friendly fuel. The targeted propulsion system features hydrogen-electric powertrain.

Research includes modifying existing commercial airframes for installation of hydrogen storage tanks and hydrogen fuel cells to achieve longer range, and lower aircraft acoustic and infrared signatures.

The technology can potentially offer fuel production at remote operating bases, simplifying the logistics of fuel supply.

In 2023, the installation was successfully tested on a small electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) drone – the first flight of an Australian-developed hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered eVTOL air vehicle.

Overview

SEAM helps solve critical surface engineering problems faced by industry, while training talented industry-ready graduates for the future.

SEAM has developed coating technology and materials for use in defence, including:

• hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces
• multi-layer thermal barriers systems
• high-temperature resistant coatings
• functional coatings for carbon fibre composites

All of these have applications in the functioning and maintenance of aircraft.

Overview

The institute's space materials, coatings and manufacturing programs conduct materials and structural certification work for space and aerospace.

The cornerstone of these programs is the ability to give functional characteristics to a surface by applying a coating.

The institute's research includes advanced composites, smart coatings, the ability to embed sensors, and self-cleaning surfaces.

Our researchers work with industry partners to engineer surface coatings – from materials that can protect satellites against wear and tear to high-temperature materials for hypersonic flight.

Overview

Swinburne’s Manufacturing Futures Research Platform specialises in advanced manufacturing technologies. Key projects in this platform include:

• maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade (MRO-U) of defence-grade components, which incorporates microstructural and mechanical testing and validating the repair process
• non-destructive evaluation (ultrasonics)
• additive and subtractive manufacturing of metallic components for naval, aerospace and army applications, including the testing of ferrous and non-ferrous parts and physical property evaluation.

Overview

Swinburne’s Mechanical Characterisation Group employs state-of-the-art facilities to evaluate the mechanical performance of various materials and structures subjected to different loadings, including quasi-static and dynamic tension, compression and bending.

The group is able to:

• conduct dynamic mechanical tests on materials at various strain rates (up to 8000/s) and temperatures (from -50^oC to 500^oC)
• design and fabricate lightweight cellular materials and metamaterials with desired mechanical performance
• carry out impact tests and computer simulations of structures, such as ballistic tests, to evaluate their resistance to impact loading.

Overview

Swinburne undertakes research in crashworthiness, advanced structures and materials, and the mechanical properties of novel materials.

Our research explores:

• the design of lightweight structures and materials with tuneable or prescribed properties and additive manufacturing
• the structural crashworthiness (automotive, marine and aerospace structures) and energy absorption of structures and materials
• the high-speed impact behaviour of alloys and structures
• the design and fabrication of fibre-reinforced polymer laminates

All of these have defence applications in aircraft manufacture and maintenance.

Overview

Swinburne’s Intelligent Data Analytics Lab is innovating and applying AI techniques to the analysis of multifaceted data from space, seeking actionable insights to enable intelligent decision-making with high autonomy.

Expertise includes:

• segmenting, detecting and classifying ground objects
• enhancing satellite imagery via super-resolution
• using on-board satellite AI for natural disaster management
• discovering “unknowns” (e.g. gravitational lenses) in the universe. 

Research applications include:

• sea ice classification in SAR imagery (essential for Arctic marine navigation)
• ground change detection using optical, multi/hyper-spectral, and SAR images for ground event monitoring
• land cover mapping with satellite imagery for remote operations management.

Overview

Swinburne’s Industry 4.0 Testlab provides a fully digitalised environment to create sophisticated virtual models that replicate real-world conditions, allowing greater control and more rapid design of engineering components and manufacturing processes and materials. 

The testlab can produce composite components combining carbon or glass fibres into different structures at unprecedented production rates and flexibility of design.

The composite materials created in the Testlab can be used in military aircraft components such as wings, fuselage sections, and tail surfaces – reducing weight and improving fuel efficiency.

Overview

The Intelligent Robotics Lab researches novel robot applications in agriculture, medicine and manufacturing. The lab excels in industry collaborations and rapid prototyping of novel concepts.

Recent projects include:

• robot systems for automatic repair of car headlight housings using 3D scanning and 3D printing
• automation of shower base manufacturing
• robotic 3D printing of biofouling-resistant large-scale parts for naval vessels
• teleoperated and autonomous medical procedures. such as ultrasound examinations.

The lab's robotic systems also have potential parts repair applications in aviation.

Overview

Swinburne’s research capabilities include multiple techniques to study fluid dynamics dominated by oscillations and vibrations – also relating to noise measurement and control.

Overview

Swinburne specialises in the creation of multi-functional engineered and composite materials with the effective combination of polymers, carbon fibers and nanomaterials.

The research also focuses on smart, engineered, digitised materials that interact with smart technology and which are able to sense, actuate, store and harvest energy.

Applications of advanced composites with additional features (such as structural sensors with shielding applications and corrosion- and dust-resistant surfaces) ensure the integrity and operational safety of critical structures, such as spacecraft, aeroplanes, drones and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Overview

Swinburne has worked in partnership with defence departments and associated major and SME industry partners for over 20 years on projects including microbial corrosion, sensors, coatings and materials used in aircraft and onshore infrastructure.

Our current research involves methods of corrosion mitigation, potential corrosion-resistant materials and surfaces and methods for lightweighting key systems.

This research provides key information and insights on the way defence can improve maintenance procedures and reduce the significant costs associated with corrosion, while at the same time helping to optimise the availability of critical platforms.

Overview

Swinburne is a leader in materials design and simulation. Our research uses computers, machine learning and intelligent computing at a molecular level to explore:

• the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
• the re-use of electric vehicle batteries
• energy storage (including energy carriers for liquid hydrogen).

Recent research expertise covers batteries, SAF, H2/H2 storage, catalysts, solar cells and other renewable energies.

A current project centres on the comprehensive exploration of high-energy-density (HED) SAF fuel derived from strained polycyclic hydrocarbons as an alternative source.

Overview

Swinburne has capabilities in innovation strategy, operations management and innovation capability; business systems in context; and information systems.

Our researchers consult to a diverse group of companies and is widely published on the topics of entrepreneurship, technology, innovation and quality control.

We have a particular expertise in Total Quality Management (TQM) and the ISO 9000 international quality standards and how these practices of pursuing constant improvement affect operational performance.

This expertise can be brought to optimising defence aircraft maintenance programs through maintenance strategy and total productive maintenance – focusing on effectiveness, prevention and autonomous teams.