As a manufacturer of drilling bits for mining and energy companies around the world, Winnipeg’s Dimatec competes in a global market. That brings constant pressure to improve product performance, optimize the manufacturing process and reduce costs.
When Arjun Thammaiah joined the 50-person company as a materials scientist in 2021, he saw opportunities to decrease costs. First up was a new way to create the drill bit slots that allow water and debris to flow out as the bits dig into the ground.
Dimatec was relying on single-use graphite components in its production process. Thammaiah identified an opportunity to reduce annual costs significantly by replacing them with reusable metal subcomponents. However, acting on this opportunity required access to appropriate 3D printing facilities.
So, he turned to the Smart Factory at Manitoba’s RRC Polytech. Designed from day one to meet the needs of industry, the 6,000-square-foot facility provides access to “industry 4.0” tools and expertise in the areas of robotics, non-destructive testing and additive manufacturing.
Providing access to advanced manufacturing tools
Since 2019, the Smart Factory team has helped roughly 200 companies in Manitoba and across Canada. Some are small enterprises that want to prototype a new technology but lack the space or the right tools. Others are large companies that want to test out million-dollar 3D printing systems or robotic platforms to see if it makes sense to acquire their own.
The Smart Factory has experimented with different metal additive manufacturing technologies for the Department of National Defence to improve ballistic performance. They’ve helped forensic investigators digitally reconstruct fire-damaged items. They’ve worked with a healthcare-focussed research organization to deploy a robotic system that helps in biomedical testing and validation. And those are only a few examples of the breadth of their projects.
“People love to collaborate with us,” says Janfizza Bukhari, director of RRC’s Technology Access Centre for Aerospace & Manufacturing. “We are industry-driven. So, whenever there is a challenge an industry client is facing, they come to us.”
CFI-funded equipment within the facility helps them tackle those challenges. Bukhari points to an X-ray computed tomography system that can inspect products without damaging them — the only one of its kind in the region. The centre also boasts one of the province’s first full-scale laser powder bed systems for printing metal parts, a suite of robots, and much more. “Without CFI support, it wouldn’t be possible,” she says.
In addition, all the equipment is connected to the Smart Factory’s dedicated secure network, collecting data for AI systems that can predict when those tools need maintenance.
Giving Canadian companies an R&D edge
Dimatec’s initial collaboration with the Smart Factory has led to several more, involving everything from 3D printing to automation.
Thammaiah lists off the reasons why: Fast turnaround time. Knowledgeable staff. The grants the Smart Factory applies for on their behalf to subsidize research costs. The fact that all intellectual property stays with the industrial client.
Most importantly, working with the Smart Factory gives them the R&D edge they need as their competitors adopt the latest smart manufacturing technologies.
“By doing a lot of research and development activity, we can reduce the product cost and then sell it to the whole world,” Thammaiah says. “A better-quality product at a lower cost.”
The research project featured in this story also benefits from funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Prairies Economic Development Canada.
