MicroTau secures $3M Australian government funding for ‘shark skin’ manufacturing process development

MicroTau has been awarded $3M under Round 17 of the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres - Projects (CRC-P) grant program. As part of a $7.3M project, the funding will support the development of advanced materials for use in MicroTau’s manufacturing and product engineering efforts. The project, titled ‘Shark Scales: Scale Manufacture of Shark Skin for Clean Aviation,’ is the second $3M CRC-P grant awarded to MicroTau.

Utilising the deep manufacturing expertise of project partners at UNSW’s Materials & Manufacturing Futures Institute (MMFI) and Australian SME Rotary Engineering, the project will culminate in a demonstration of scale manufacture using the MMFI’s roll-to-roll processing line, setting the stage for further scale-up.

MicroTau’s Riblet Modification Package is a drag-reducing adhesive film package for commercial and defense aircraft that results in efficiency gains of up to 4%, with commensurate reductions in CO2e emissions. 

Following a successful flight test on a US Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130J ‘Super Hercules’ where MicroTau applied this product to the fuselage, wings, engine nacelles, and tail, we are looking toward substantial scale-up opportunities in the near future. 

Applied to the global fleet, this product can save the commercial aviation industry US$8 billion worth of fuel and prevent 38 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. The product offers a means for emissions abatement that works in concert with other fuel-saving technologies, provides a ‘green discount’ for customers, and enables profit uplifts of more than 20% for commercial operators. 

We thank the Australian Commonwealth Government for their continued support. 

For further enquiries, please contact:

Duncan Bell

Senior Marketing & Communications Manager

duncan@microtau.com.au