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| Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology | |
|---|---|
| Name | Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology |
| Formation | 2007 |
| Type | Research network |
| Headquarters | London, Ontario |
| Region served | Canada |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology. The network connected Canadian National Research Council (Canada), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Ontario Centres of Excellence, University of Toronto and regional partners to advance machining science and advanced manufacturing innovation, linking applied research at institutions such as McMaster University, University of British Columbia, Université de Montréal, University of Waterloo and Queen's University with industry stakeholders including Magna International, Bombardier Inc., General Electric and Siemens. It served as a focal point for collaboration among federal programs like the Industrial Research Assistance Program, provincial agencies such as Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and sectoral consortia including Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association.
The initiative originated from joint discussions involving Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, National Research Council (Canada), Industry Canada policymakers, and university researchers after reviews by panels with members from MIT, Georgia Institute of Technology, Fraunhofer Society and TWI Limited, aiming to emulate models like UK Research Councils and European Technology Platforms. Formal launch activities in 2007 included conferences that convened delegates from Ontario Centres of Excellence, Alberta Innovates, BC Innovation Council, Conseil de recherches mathématiques and representatives from NSERC Chairs and Canada Foundation for Innovation, building on prior projects at McGill University, University of Alberta and Dalhousie University. Over time the network integrated projects linked to national initiatives such as Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research, Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative and collaborations with international programs at Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
The network's mission aligned with priorities set by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and National Research Council (Canada) to strengthen Canadian competitiveness by accelerating technology transfer among stakeholders like Magna International, Bombardier Inc. and Pratt & Whitney Canada, by supporting research agendas found in reports from Council of Canadian Academies and white papers from Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters. Objectives emphasized building capacity at universities such as University of Waterloo, McMaster University and École Polytechnique de Montréal, fostering workforce training connected to programs at Sheridan College, Mohawk College and Conestoga College, and creating collaborative platforms akin to Mitacs and Industrial Research Assistance Program partnerships.
Research programs centered on precision machining, tool wear, additive manufacturing interfaces, high-speed machining, and process modelling, drawing on expertise from University of British Columbia, McGill University, Université Laval, and University of Saskatchewan. Projects integrated methods from research groups affiliated with National Research Council (Canada), Fraunhofer Society, ETH Zurich, and Imperial College London, exploring cutting-tool materials like carbide, cermet, ceramics and coatings researched at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory analogues. Computational efforts used techniques developed in labs at University of Toronto, Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Sandia National Laboratories to model chatter, thermal effects, and microstructure evolution, while metrology work referenced standards from National Institute of Standards and Technology, Measurement Canada, and collaborations with Hexagon AB and Renishaw.
The network brokered collaborations with corporations and associations including Magna International, Bombardier Inc., Pratt & Whitney Canada, Siemens, General Electric, Rolls-Royce, and supply-chain firms represented by Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association and Aerospace Industries Association of Canada. Partnerships extended to provincial innovation agencies like Alberta Innovates, Innovate BC, and research institutes such as IRAP, Canadian Light Source, Mitacs and Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies. International links involved Fraunhofer Society, TWI Limited, MIT, Georgia Institute of Technology, and collaborative programs with European Commission initiatives and bilateral ties to Japan Science and Technology Agency.
Access to machining centres, cleanrooms, and metrology labs leveraged infrastructure funded via Canada Foundation for Innovation, institutional facilities at University of Waterloo, McMaster University, University of Toronto, and national labs such as National Research Council (Canada), and partnerships with industrial labs owned by Magna International and Bombardier Inc.. Shared resources included high-precision axis machines, ultrasonic machining rigs, electron microscopes from facilities akin to Canadian Light Source, coordinate measuring machines by Hexagon AB, and instrumentation supported by provincial networks like Ontario Network of Excellence and capital grants connected to Canada Foundation for Innovation awards.
Governance structures mirrored models used by NSERC, Canada Foundation for Innovation, and Ontario Centres of Excellence with advisory boards consisting of representatives from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, National Research Council (Canada), participating universities such as McGill University, University of British Columbia, Queen's University, and industry members from Magna International, Bombardier Inc., and Pratt & Whitney Canada. Funding combined contributions from federal programs including Industrial Research Assistance Program, grants from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, provincial agencies like Alberta Innovates and Innovate BC, and cash and in-kind support from corporate partners and foundations comparable to Mitacs arrangements.
Notable projects produced advancements in tool-coating technologies, high-speed milling protocols, and hybrid additive-subtractive process chains developed with partners such as Magna International, Bombardier Inc., Siemens, Hexagon AB, and research teams from University of Toronto, McMaster University, University of Waterloo and Université de Montréal, contributing to standards discussed at meetings of ISO technical committees and workshops hosted by Canadian Standards Association. Outcomes included trained personnel who joined firms represented by Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, commercialization cases linked to Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research, and technology transfers documented in reports to Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and provincial innovation agencies, influencing supply chains in sectors served by Pratt & Whitney Canada, General Electric, and Rolls-Royce.
Category:Research networks in Canada