Swinburne and Sutton Tools to launch joint Smart Manufacturing Centre

A research agreement between Swinburne and Sutton Tools was signed by Professor Bronwyn Fox and Mr Peter Sutton on 26 April 2021 in Swinburne’s Factory of the Future.
In summary
- Swinburne and Sutton Tools are establishing a joint Smart Manufacturing Centre to work on projects in advanced manufacturing
- The new centre will play an important role in training students, staff and industry end-users
Swinburne University of Technology and Sutton Tools Pty Ltd are establishing a joint Smart Manufacturing Centre to work on projects in advanced manufacturing over the next five years.
A research agreement was signed by Swinburne’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Bronwyn Fox and Managing Director of Sutton Tools Mr Peter Sutton on 26 April 2021.
The new centre will play an important role in training students, staff and industry end users and will pursue joint research and development activities through different funding bodies. The centre will also play a role in the Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy through developing a digital and sustainable local supply chain with Sutton Tools.
Features of the collaboration will include:
· the loan of equipment from Swinburne to Sutton Tools,
· the joint funding of three PhD scholarships as part of our industry and impact PhD program
· the placement of undergraduate and postgraduate students with Sutton Tools as part of Swinburne’s Work Integrated Learning program.
“This partnership builds on a longstanding relationship between Swinburne and Sutton Tools that dates back to the early 1990s and underscores Swinburne’s research strengths in the manufacturing sector. In recent times this relationship has been advanced significantly by Professor Suresh Palanisamy,” says Professor Fox.

Sutton Tools’ Technology Manager Dr Steve Dowey demonstrating 'factory-in-a-box' (supported by DMTC Ltd.) to Professor Bronwyn Fox.
“Sutton Tools and Swinburne’s strengthening collaboration will be instrumental in the continued local development and manufacture of advanced engineering cutting tools. We see the Smart Manufacturing Centre as not only crucial in supporting research and development, but as importantly, providing the infrastructure to train both current and future engineers in systems and techniques required by increasingly demanding machining applications,” says Sutton Tools Managing Director, Peter Sutton.
Swinburne also played a prominent role in the establishing Surface Technology Coatings, part of the Sutton Tools organisation.
In partnership with Sutton Tools and a number of local small to mediium enterprises, Swinburne has been studying the cutting tool life of hard-to-machine materials such as titanium. This work will assist with lengthening tool life and reducing the cost of the manufacturing process.
Sutton Tools is also part of Swinburne’s Australian Research Centre Training Centre in Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM).
The new centre will be based at Sutton Tools in Thomastown.
-
Media Enquiries
Related articles
-
- Technology
- Education
TikTok has a startling amount of sexual content – and it’s way too easy for children to access
Explicit content has long been a feature of the internet and social media, and young people’s exposure to it has been a persistent concern. This issue has taken centre stage again with the meteoric rise of TikTok. Despite efforts to moderate content, it seems TikTok’s primary focus remains on maximising user engagement and traffic, rather than creating a safe environment for users.
Monday 20 November 2023 -
- Technology
- Science
- Sustainability
Swinburne and CSIRO launch state-of-the-art renewable hydrogen refuelling station
Swinburne University of Technology and CSIRO have launched a state-of-the-art clean hydrogen refuelling station, purpose-built for enabling hydrogen research.
Thursday 23 November 2023 -
- Astronomy
- Technology
We traced a powerful radio signal to the most distant source yet – a galaxy billions of lightyears away
Every day and night, hundreds of thousands of intense, brief flashes of radiation suddenly flicker on and then off all across the sky. These “fast radio bursts” are invisible to the naked eye, but to a radio telescope many almost outshine everything else in the sky for a few thousandths of a second.
Friday 20 October 2023 -
- Technology
- Health
- Science
The new non-invasive brain scan techniques giving seizure sufferers a new lease on life
Swinburne University of Technology’s cutting-edge non-invasive investigations for epilepsy are giving seizure sufferers like Stephenie Evans a second chance at a happy and healthy life.
Read more (The new non-invasive brain scan techniques giving seizure sufferers a new lease on life )Monday 16 October 2023 -
- Technology
- University
Swinburne is leading the way in multi-cloud architecture education
Swinburne is rolling out a new course to handle the emergence of multi-cloud digital systems in workplace organisations, giving our students the latest expertise in the modern workplace to ensure job readiness.
Friday 13 October 2023