WA companies contribution to success of RBT program

Collaboration between a Western Australian company and the Minerals and Energy Department has contributed to the success of the Police Department's Random Breath Testing program.

Mines Minister Gordon Hill today said the work by Alcotech Pty Ltd and the department's Chemistry Centre had produced the fuel cell which is the alcohol sensor used in the new AR1005 preliminary breath alcohol analyser.

Fuel cells are normally used to produce electricity for spacecraft and other remote applications. 

Mr Hill said those used in breath analysers were much smaller and the Alcotech model was the first to be made in Australia for this purpose.

"Breath passing over the fuel cell generates a minute amount of electric current which is interpreted by the sophisticated electronics in the unit to give an alcohol reading," he said.

"As Alcotech was unable to import fuel cells for the analysers, it asked the chemistry centre to assist in developing an alternative.

"Staff of the Materials Technology and the Forensic Science Laboratories worked with Alcotech to develop a process for manufacturing the cell and later tested the model to ensure the accuracy and reliability of its readings.

"Alcotech then further developed the fuel cell to allow for mass production."

Police Minister Graham Edwards said the unit had performed well during the department's RBT campaign.

"It is time and cost-effective and more reliable than testers available before," he said.