Cutting edge laminates and composites made with recycled content
With steel at its roots, the Hamilton region is poised to make an impact in the future of manufacturing.
Private companies, academic institutions and nonprofits in the city and beyond recently came together to form the Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster.
The project was selected as part of the Government of Canada’s $950-million Innovation Superclusters Initiative.
While this initiative hopes to build nextgeneration manufacturing capabilities, local engineering company Westhill Innovation Inc. is implementing its own innovative practices. Westhill designs and manufactures laminates and composites that make panels more durable and lightweight. The company also strives to maximize recycled content; environmental responsibility is an important pillar of its mission.
President and CEO Emil Radoslav founded Westhill in 2008. He and Gina Succi, the company’s vice-president and co-founder, both have a background in steel.
After retiring from the Hamilton steel industry, Radoslav began to develop the metal laminate at the base of Westhill’s product line.
During this time, Succi, an engineer from Hamilton, contributed her experience from metals, mining and construction to the development process. The two bring more than 50 years of expertise to the company.
Radoslav, from Dundas, and Succi, from Ancaster, have made inroads in the trailer industry with their technology, and Westhill is now a primary supplier of composite panels to a Canadian trailer manufacturer.
A patented design and manufacturing process are used to make trailer doors and sidewalls more durable and cost-effective.
Radoslav says his biggest challenge will be managing growth as customer demand increases for new laminates and composites.
“We plan to expand into the construction and automotive sectors over the next five years. Right now, we need to increase production in our plant by implementing
automation.”
As the Westhill team plans for the future, it has secured projects and partnerships, such as their work with McMaster University’s W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, exploring cutting-edge applications of recycled materials, advanced manufacturing, and solar energy.
Born in Europe and raised in Hamilton by immigrant parents, Radoslav says he learned the importance of setting goals and making sacrifices to meet them.
“My parents raised me with a strong work ethic, to be competitive, and stressed the importance of education.”
Radoslav and Succi say they are excited about the new momentum in the city’s manufacturing industry.
“Hamilton calls itself ‘The Ambitious City’ for good reason,” says Radoslav. “The city is growing and evolving into an advanced manufacturing centre. It is not afraid of change. It looks forward to the future.”
Innovation Spotlight is an occasional feature by Hamilton's Innovation Factory.