ATL Composites, PARTEC celebrate 25-year partnership

It was reported on Sept. 25 that ATL Composites (Molendinar, Australia) and the Plastic and Rubber Technical Education Centre (PARTEC), Composites Training Centre (Brisbane, Australia) are celebrating a 25-year partnership. From demonstrating the advantages of epoxy-based products over traditional materials, and ATL’s donation of materials for hands-on trials and apprentice training course work for PARTEC, both companies emphasize a strong relationship.

ATL Composites is a supplier of advanced composite materials, specializing in the formulation and manufacture of quality Australian-made epoxy-based products for marine, architectural, automotive, sports and leisure and industrial markets. The PARTEC institute offers school-based programs and training for trades including plastic molding, tool-making, pipe extrusion, welding and more. With campuses in Townsville, Cairns and Mackay, and provides on-site training at Riviera Yachts on the Gold Coast, the institute has no age limit.

“It’s important that we work with PARTEC Composites Training Centre and share our product knowledge [of epoxy] so that they can share that knowledge with others,” says Mick Bunker, sales manager, ATL Composites.

For example, says ATL Composites, the PARTEC institute is active in many of the fields that epoxy has been applied tp, including sponsorship of the University of Queensland and QUT race teams for Formula SAE, Open-Wheeled Formula-style race cars designed, built and raced by university teams that gather for the annual event in Melbourne.

“As part of a 12-month curriculum program, we train the engineering and design students in how to work in composites — carbon fiber and epoxy—  and provide workshop time as they prepare their vehicles,” Mark Halford, training consultant at PARTEC explains. “These kinds of activities are considered crucial for the talented engineers and designers of the future. The whole idea of the project is to lead to industry placement and various major companies attend the event for talent scouting and recruitment.”

In 2020, ATL Composites is also celebrating 40 years of operations.