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| CSIRO | SOLVE | Issue No. 5 - Nov 2005 | |
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ARTICLES
A cow wearing a GPS unit and antenna is simply not what one expects when visiting a farm, but such high-tech cows are happily participating in a CSIRO study into animal behaviour with potential for improving livestock management tools
 Full
StoryThe production of microscopic fibres known as carbon nanotubes is opening up a whole new world of possibilities in the production of materials as diverse as ‘smart’ clothing through to television screens and solar energy panels
Full
StoryImprovements in agricultural productivity used to depend on the expert eyes of plant and animal breeders to identify elite individuals
Full
StoryBland assurances that the urgently needed goods your company ordered are ‘in the system’ are the bane of consumer goods manufacturers and their customers worldwide. But revolution is in the air
Full
Story
Graeme O'Neill reports on T-MagTM, an Australian light metals
development that is leading towards increased use of magnesium in motor
vehicle components
Full
StoryPowerful magnetic fields such as those found in aluminium, copper and magnesium smelters play havoc with any work involving arc welding
Full
StoryThe first close look at timber’s environmental credentials in the built environment shows that it outscores the competition
Full StoryA new ‘chemical barcode’ may guarantee that what customers are paying for is what they get
Full StoryLearning more about what we eat is increasingly being seen as a key to fighting chronic disease
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StoryAerated wall panels promise cheaper, faster building and better insulation than conventional precast concrete
Full StoryOn any given day, hundreds of thousands of vehicles of all shapes and sizes, travelling at different speeds, use Australia’s major arterial roadways
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StoryIn the often dusty, dry environment of Australia’s mining industry, water plays an important role in the handling of raw materials
Full StoryA new sheet-rolling process for magnesium can help manufacturers meet growing demand for the metal
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StoryAs future oil prices soar, a small CSIRO-developed device may be all you need to power your car
Full Story‘Blinding’ – blocked screens – is a constant frustration for mineral processors. A new rotary tumbler may be the answer
Full Story
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DOWNLOAD COMPLETE ISSUE IN |
Technology at Our Fingertips Portable electronic goods such as music players, mobile phones, cameras, PDAs and laptops have proliferated in the past few years. Now everyone from your next-door neighbour to your teenage daughter has a personal, portable electronic device of some kind. The growth in electronic goods creates huge opportunities for companies involved in magnesium production. The metal’s light weight and strength make it ideal for small, portable devices and its use will only increase. There is also enormous potential for sheet magnesium to be used in the automotive industry, as makers – with an eye to fuel costs and reducing emissions – strive to build lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles. For our company, the potential benefits of increased magnesium consumption provide a great opportunity. And since signing an exclusive agreement with CSIRO to commercialise its magnesium-sheet production process, we believe we are a giant leap ahead of our competitors. In essence, the technology dramatically lowers the cost of producing magnesium sheet – and the improved grain structure produced means magnesium sheet can be used in a much broader range of products. Becoming involved with fabricated and semi-fabricated sheet is something we have been interested in for some time. It fits well with our proposed primary magnesium alloy plant in Egypt, which is in the final bankable feasibility stage. The move into downstream product areas such as magnesium sheet, where intellectual property is protected, is a business model adopted by the most successful aluminium companies. So we reason it is a very sensible strategic model to follow, and CSIRO’s technology ensures we can be a leader in this field. Signing a licence agreement is not something we have done lightly. But this technology will change future production by dramatically reducing production costs. We have no doubt this technology is way ahead of the pack, and our agreement with CSIRO ensures we have access to ongoing R&D work. This is absolutely essential. It is not worth the risk to try to develop this technology elsewhere when the expertise is at our fingertips. PATRICK ELLIOTT
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