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Research and Engineering

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Research & Engineering plays an major part in the development of AWTA Ltd. Based in Melbourne, the Research & Engineering group form the largest wool measurement and engineering research group in the wool industry. Work conducted in the group falls into three main areas: 

  • Developing and enhancing Test Methods and Regulations.
  • Participation in industry trials designed to evaluate the role of Raw Wool measurements in the prediction of processing performance.
  • Developing a fundamental understanding of the physics of specific measurement systems where required, in order to better enable the Company to improve existing Test Methods and to develop new Test Methods.
  • Development, design and construction of testing equipment for in-house use and for sale. All testing equipment in use at AWTA Ltd has been built and/or designed by Company staff.
  • AWTA Ltd built testing equipment has been exported to organisations in Argentina, Belgium, China, New Zealand and South Africa

Research is often conducted in collaboration with other research organisations, such as CSIRO, commercial processors, industry bodies and non-competing Laboratories such as the New Zealand Wool Testing Authority Ltd (NZWTA Ltd) and the Wool Testing Bureau South Africa (WTB SA). AWTA played a major role in the Australian Objective Measurement Project (AOMP), which led to the introduction of Sale By Sample and Presale testing in 1972, the Trials Evaluating Additional Measurement (TEAM) and the Australian Staple Measurement Adoption Programme (ASMAP).

More recently AWTA Ltd scientific staff have been working under contracts with AWI to provide professional supervision of programs being funded by AWI.

AWTA Ltd's research results are normally reported at the yearly IWTO meeting and in appropriate journals.

The Engineering group is responsible for manufacturing equipment for use by the Company's own laboratories as well as for sale to other laboratories. Although the group does manufacture the full range of AWTA Ltd's equipment, its principal activity over recent years has been the manufacturing of the LASERSCAN instrument, and associated peripheral equipment.