Projects
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Preventative Maintenance Software Development and Integration for Quickmill Inc. CNC Machine

Researcher: Priteshkumar Patel

Funder: SONAMI

Project Details

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Headquartered in Peterborough, Ontario, Quickmill Inc. manufactures a line of CNC gantry and bridge type machining centers. Incorporated in 1984, Quickmill began by selling vertical drilling machines, with conversational software developed by owner/inventor David Piggott, to machine shops in North America.  Quickmill is one of the few thriving North American made CNC Machine tool builders with the majority of components sourced from North American vendors. Today, Quickmill has expanded its engineering and manufacturing capabilities to offer a diverse line of high-quality CNC Machine tools that meet the ever-expanding needs of global market place.

The goal of this project is to monitor the condition of critical CNC machine components and provide the operator with advanced notice if a part requires service. This will provide operators the opportunity to schedule downtime for machine maintenance before a costly and time-consuming failure occurs. Specifically, during a standard motion profile, condition monitoring will be performed using accelerometers to measure vibrations in target components. With the assistance of machine learning algorithms, vibration profiles will be analyzed and compared to determine each component’s condition and remaining useful life.

Success of the project will result in software development and integration of developed machine learning algorithms into Quickmill’s CNC machines.
Erthos logo

Development of a Novel Biodegradable Packaging Film for Erthos

Researchers: Sandy Kirkbride & Abdul Raheem

Funder: SONAMI

Project Details

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Erthos is passionate about delivering sustainable and viable solutions to the plastics industry. They are transforming the zero-waste landscape by changing how we make and use single-use plastic. Erthos utilizes biobased, biogenic inputs such as locally sourced agricultural by-products, enabling them to develop 100% compatible and compostable alternatives for common plastic inputs such as polypropylene and polystyrene. The team employs various agricultural and plant products (plant fibers, powders, etc.) to develop a cost-competitive and viable solution for businesses looking to address plastic waste. Erthos’ eco-resin materials are directly compatible with existing plastic manufacturing lines, which allows brands and manufacturers globally to replace their plastic inputs without retooling or replacing their existing infrastructure.

Erthos has partnered with Lambton College on the proposed project to expand and optimize those existing technology platforms and manufacturing processes. This will be done by analyzing the production methods of different eco-resin materials, conducting various analytical tests, and performing characterization techniques to optimize erthos ecoresin for large-scale production.

This project’s success will prevent hundreds of thousands of pounds of toxic pollutants from entering our atmosphere and littering our environments, ultimately contributing to a greener future. Through collaboration with Lambton College, Erthos will gain access to technical expertise and world-class facilities to address their technical challenges.

More project examples to come.

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