Plastics & Composites

Occupying half a nondescript side street in an industrial area of Bayswater, a sprawling medical device research and manufacturing facility buzzes with activity. Inside this complex is SDI Limited, primarily involved in researching and developing, manufacturing, and marketing specialist materials for the dental profession. Founded in 1972, SDI is fast becoming a world leader in specialist dental materials, and has been recognised with multiple export and international awards. History Over 50 years ago, the company's Chairman, Jeffery Cheetham OAM, founded SDI Limited. SDI expanded into composites in the 1990s, and whitening and glass-ionomer cements in the 2000s, now making a wide range of materials for clinicians. SDI Limited’s products compete in the highly regulated medical device market and have full accreditation in each country, including the EU MDR, so they will continue this practice for the foreseeable future. SDI Limited is classified as a medical device company. Those brave enough to visit the dentist every six months will have seen their range of dental products in use. Technology The high-tech devices are mainly…

High-efficiency diode lasers from Laserline look set to become pivotal for the nascent local battery industry as industry realises incentives under the government’s Future Made in Australia Act and National Battery Strategy. Economical, modular, high-power diode lasers from Laserline are setting new standards for efficiency in surface heat treatments, which are crucial to numerous manufacturing processes. These include hardening, curing powder coatings, and drying offset colours, as well as drying fuel cells and battery foils. Drying electrodes for lithium-ion batteries is the most expensive step in their production, incurring about 20% of the cost. Therefore, the latest efficiencies of laser drying could revolutionise battery production and other surface heat treatments. Laserline’s new OTX range of optics and high-efficiency diode lasers create extra-wide beams of 1.5 metres or more, ideal for heat-treating large surfaces required for electrode drying in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. Dr Cedric Chaminade, Technical Director and physicist at Raymax Applications, which distributes Laserline’s diode lasers, says Raymax is excited to supply this technology to Australasia, where governments are backing manufacturing innovations toward clean energy and…

Sweet dreams and a sustainable night’s sleep are now a reality following the launch of Australia’s first bed base made from 100% recycled plastic under the brand ‘Circular Beds’. Made in Victoria, the pioneering bed base contains about 22kg of recycled consumer plastic (enough for a king single) from items such as milk crates, garden pots, storage containers, and buckets. It is completely recyclable at the end of its life. The concept of a 100% recycled plastic bed base had its genesis in a question from Tracey Pryor, Director of Innovation at the Australian Bedding Stewardship Council (ABSC), to Dr John Stehle, Inventor and Director of ROBOVOID, being ‘how can we redesign bed bases to keep them out of landfill and make them truly sustainable?’ ROBOVOID subsequently developed the concept into a prototype with the support of Swinburne University, GT Recycling and the ABSC, with $300,000 in grant funding from Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the Victorian Government. According to ROBOVOID Director, Scott Olding, bed bases are typically constructed from low-grade virgin timber, bolted or stapled together, and covered in fabric with…

CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and Murdoch University have launched the Bioplastics Innovation Hub. This $8m collaboration will collaborate with industry partners to develop a new generation of 100% compostable plastic. The Bioplastics Innovation Hub aims to revolutionise plastic packaging by developing biologically derived plastic that can break down in compost, land, or water. Dr Andy Whiteley, director of the CSIRO Research Program, said the Hub aims to bring together experts in microbiology, molecular genetics, synthetic biology, biochemical engineering, advanced manufacturing, and the circular economy by translating advancements in bioplastics research into real-world applications. “Our primary focus is the development of 100% compostable, bio-derived packaging for use as sprays, films, bottles, caps and wrappers, which are engineered to break down in compost, land and aquatic environments fully,” said Dr. Whiteley. Global concerns over plastic pollution and fossil fuel depletion are driving increased demand for compostable bioplastics. The Hub will equip the plastics industry with the tools and expertise required to manufacture materials and continue to drive a green plastic waste economy. "It is critical to address the growing…