27 projects and 16 years later

Microwave research was established at Wollongong in early 1987, with the collaboration of industry and government for the purpose of investigating and developing industrial applications of microwave energy.

The early work was under the directorship of Professor Howard K. Worner a distinguished Australian scientist with a background in chemistry and metallurgy and Assoc Professor Frank Paoloni an engineer with high temperature plasma experience. Since that time we have operated as a contract research and development organisation located on the campus at Wollongong. The microwave work is now combined with an engineering group with expertise in materials handling, automation and manufacturing and is called Advanced Manufacturing Technologies.

Our projects over the years have been in a wide variety of areas. The early projects were funded mainly by the Australian mineral industry and included high temperature smelting of metals from their ores using microwaves, microwave extraction of oil from shale, microwave processing and drying of coal.

Our experience in microwave processing of chemicals has included the microwave distillation of oils from shale, the microwave assisted cyanide extraction of gold from mine tailings using a modular microwave heated "pipe-warmer" concept, microwave extraction of essential oils from plant materials, microwave sterilisation of wastes, and the use of microwave generated plasmas for destruction of chlorine containing wastes, dioxins, accelerated organic reactions(zinc and polymer compounds) and many other applications.

Advanced Manufacturing Technologies has completed several major automation and microwave projects both within Australia and overseas, on the basis of fixed price contracts and full plant warranty. In addition, numerous applied research and development projects associated with manufacturing automation, industrial microwave heating and productivity improvement studies have been performed. AMT is skilled at design, development and integration of innovative systems applying the appropriate level of technology and automation to each specific task.