Centre for Future Materials (CFM)

Institute for Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences, University of Southern Queensland

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A creel for unwinding carbon fibre spools in composites manufacturing

Centre for Future Materials (CFM) is the leading research centre in Australia on engineered composite materials. CFM is known internationally on R&D in materials innovation and advanced manufacturing focusing on space and defence, resilient infrastructure, clean energy, automated construction, quantum and sensors, medical devices, and sustainability practices.

CFM operates a dedicated industry test service for more than 1000 business clients across multiple sectors both nationally and internationally.

CFM houses state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for advanced composites manufacturing, materials characterisation, polymer analysis, mechanical and large-scale structural testing.

Website
https://www.unisq.edu.au/research/institutes-centres/iaess/centre-for-future-materials
Organisation type
  • University Research Centre
Number of research staff
20-100 research staff
Address
Block Q, Level 3, UniSQ Toowoomba campus, West Street, Toowoomba QLD 4350

Strengths and capabilities

  • Composites manufacturing: pultrusion, filament winding, braiding
  • Design, analysis, modelling of composite materials and structures
  • Manufacturing and testing for aerospace, space, defence
  • Civil infrastructure composites, including marine and railways
  • High-temperature composites manufacturing and characterisation
  • Geopolymer and low carbon concrete
  • In-situ monitoring of composites manufacturing
  • Machine learning and AI for data processing and enablement
  • Digital twins for manufacturing and repair
  • Digital and Systems Engineering across lifecycle
  • Thermoelectric, fire-retardant and novel sensors for aggressive environments
  • Industrial testing: mechanical, structural, characterisation
  • Sustainability: reuse, reduction, circular economy, remanufacturing
  • Waste processing, batteries, recycling, biofuels, biochar

Facilities and major equipment

  • 8-axis robotic filament winding & automated fibre placement (material formats include: prepreg/towpreg/slit-tape, dry- and wet-fibre winding); housed in climate-controlled manufacturing facility
  • Dual-ring composite braider
  • Industrial scale pultrusion machine (paired with braider for pull-braiding capability)
  • Hand layup, RTM, and press consolidation equipment
  • Large heated press (200T, 450°C, 1×1.2 m)
  • 3-axis CNC machining with composites dust extraction
  • Concrete and thermoplastic 3D printing facilities
  • Oxide-CMC sintering furnace (up to 1400°C)
  • Structural testing lab: industrial-scale structural testing frames (50T, 200T); and static, fatigue, and impact testing (10–2000 kN)
  • Analytical and microscopy (DSC, TGA, rheology, SEM, AFM, optical)
  • Schottky Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope
  • Environmental conditioning chambers (temperature & humidity, UV exposure)
  • Fire testing qualification equipment rigs

Lead researchers

Achievements of the centre

Key science sectors

More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:

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