ARC success for faculty researchers

A project being led by Professor Jeong Yoon from Deakin University's School of Engineering is one of two Deakin projects to have been successful in the latest round of Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage awards.

The scheme supports collaborative research that connects industry with university researchers and helps to build Australia's prosperity.

The project being led by Professor Yoon aims to reduce aluminium waste. Over 200 billion aluminium beverage cans are produced worldwide each year (including 30 billion in Australia), but aluminium sheet forming failure has led to a problematic level of waste.

This project will focus on developing "A Novel Failure Approach for Multi-stage Aluminium Sheet Forming". The team will also include Mr Robert Dick, Dr Eung-Zu Kim and Dr Xinhai Zhu from partner organisations, which include the Alcoa Technical Centre, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, and Livermore Software Technology Corporation.

Associate Professor Bernard Rolfe, also from Deakin's School of Engineering, is part of the research team on the other Deakin project, "Micro-roll forming of metal bipolar plates for fuel cells", which is being led by Deakin's new Pro Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Partnerships), Professor Peter Hodgson, from the Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM).

Other Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment staff are involved in the latest round of ARC Linkage projects led by other institutions:

• Professor David Jones, from the School of Architecture and Built Environment, will be involved in a project that aims to understand contemporary Australian Aboriginal connections to 'Country.' The project will be led by Griffith University.
• Professor Graeme Hays, from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, will work on a project led by the University of Queensland that aims to answer key questions about the biology, ecology and sustainability of the world's manta ray species.
•  Dr Euan Ritchie, from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, will work on a project led by the University of Tasmania that aims to examine the effects of traditional Aboriginal and contemporary fire management on kangaroo abundance.