On the cutting edge
Government investments add up at UW 3D printing lab
WATERLOO — Government investments keep adding up at a cutting-edge University of Waterloo lab dedicated to additive manufacturing.
On Wednesday, the federal government announced an $8.9 million investment in the university’s Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Lab; the province has already provided $6.2 million in funding to the lab.
Commonly known as industrial 3D printing, the process is also known as additive manufacturing because objects are created from three-dimensional computer designs by adding thin layer upon layer of material. Metal powders such as titanium or stainless steel are often used.
“It is a paradigm shift,” said lab director Ehsan Toyserkani. “It has the potential to offer many advantages.”
The process offers near-infinite design freedom in creating complex parts, a rapid design-to-market cycle and on-demand manufacturing, Toyserkani said. It’s also a clean process that often results in energy savings and produces less waste.
The lab was actually founded more than a decade ago, but recent investments have allowed it to expand considerably, said managing director Mark Barfoot. In all, the lab has received nearly $27 million in funding and in-kind support from governments, industry partners and the university.
It’s a one-stop shop for additive manufacturing, Barfoot said, focused on several aspects of the process including materials research, product design and testing, and the design and development of new manufacturing systems. These government investments will help to make the lab one of the 10 largest university-based additive manufacturing facilities in the world.
Additive manufacturing is quickly finding a home in sectors and industries as diverse as automotive, aerospace, nuclear and health care as more companies adopt the technology. One of the lab’s industry partners is mining giant Rio Tinto.
UW dean of engineering Pearl Sullivan urged those partners to think of the lab as an extension of their research and development departments. “Manufacturing is the ultimate integrator of technology,” she told those gathered for the announcement.
Components produced through additive manufacturing can include everything from customized surgical tools and implants to significantly lighter brackets for planes that could translate into considerable fuel savings.
“Innovation is redefining our economy,” said Waterloo MP and Minister of Small Business and Tourism Bardish Chagger.
New and emerging technologies like additive manufacturing will help Canada remain competitive on the global stage.
“Canadian manufacturers have already begun to embrace the revolution,” she said.
Partnerships with industry leaders will allow new technologies and processes refined in the lab to be commercialized faster, said Reza Moridi, Ontario’s Minister of Research, Innovation and Science.
“We don’t want the results of research and innovation to remain on bookshelves and hard drives,” he said.