Federal funding for Red Deer Polytechnic’s CIM-TAC supports the growth of healthcare equipment manufacturing in central Alberta. | So Good News

Officials of the RDP for the benefit of the public. Technology adoption centers like CIM-TAC are designed to be a safe haven for companies to de-risk adoption of innovative technologies and develop the skills and knowledge needed to meet changing business conditions. .

“Our government continues to support Alberta’s economic growth by helping small and medium producers get the resources they need to grow and be competitive,” said PrairiesCan Minister Honorable Dan Vandal. Today’s investment in Red Deer Polytechnic’s Technology Access Center will strengthen Alberta’s health care device manufacturing capacity, empower entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into products for global markets, and create high-quality jobs at home.

“We are committed to designing and manufacturing leading products in a variety of industries, including our growing medical device sector,” said the Honorable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance. “This investment in Red Deer Polytechnic will meet the needs of Alberta companies to expand their production of products that improve the quality of life for Canadians while stimulating innovation and creating good-paying jobs for Albertans.”

The addition of the EnvisionTEC Xtreme 8K DLP (digital light processing) 3D printer to CIM-TAC’s parts production line, which includes an ExOne Innovent+ binder jet and a Stratasys 400mc FDM model, is expected to fill the gap, Rdp officials said. Affordable commercial 3D printing for local businesses and industries.

Wolfe expects the new device to be a key part of CIM-TAC’s latest private-public innovation partnership, using advanced manufacturing to lower the cost of customizable assistive healthcare devices. The deadline to apply for the program is November 22. It is 2022.

“CIM-TAC’s rapid development team was working with an industrial client to develop custom-fit wheelchair cushions,” says Wolfe. “We were able to get EnvisionTEC into printing custom end-use parts right away on this project. We’re not just prototyping or functional prototyping. We can now do true additive manufacturing and provide a new area of ​​focus for Central Alberta’s existing manufacturing base.”

RDP’s EnvisionTEC Xtreme 8K DLP is the first at a Canadian post-secondary institution and the only one of its kind in Canada outside of Ontario, officials said. CIM-TAC is also home to Alberta’s first commercial 3D printer.

By testing new additive manufacturing tools, CIM-TAC reinforces corporate efforts and provides faster access to business and industrial technology. Officials say it allows them to reduce their risk and innovation costs.

“We would like to thank Prairies Economic Development Canada for this funding, which allows us to partner with companies across the province and increase Red Deer Polytechnic’s capacity,” said Stuart Cullum, president of Red Deer Polytechnic. “These partnerships will contribute to the diversity and prosperity of Alberta’s economy, providing students with industry-ready, practical skills.”

More information about the Center for Innovative Manufacturing (CIM-TAC) is available online.