The onset of the global health crisis in the spring of 2020 — with ongoing shortages in critical medical and protective equipment — has underscored the need for innovative solutions.  

Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, Niagara’s local health system faced a startling shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and reached out to Niagara College’s Research & Innovation division for a rapid response for the essential health equipment. 

Researchers at the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (WAMIC) promptly engineered a face shield prototype using computer-aided design and received certification by Health Canada for a Medical Device Establishment Licence (MDEL Class1).  

The team at WAMIC, and with help from R&I’s administrative staff, spent long hours assembling hundreds of face shields each day, and delivering them to frontline workers at Niagara Health. 

In all, the team produced 37,300 face shields for essential healthcare staff locally and other community members throughout the province. 

“The Research & Innovation division at Niagara College provided invaluable services at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when PPE inventories were running low, and the supply chains were disrupted,” said Amir Gill, director of Capital Planning, Engineering Services, and Biomedical Engineering for Niagara Health. “I would term their efforts heroic, and they definitely helped Niagara Health keep our patients, staff, and visitors safe.”

The face shield project was funded by the Niagara College-led Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI)  through Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) contributions. In fact, all seven of SONAMI’s academic partners took action to combat the health crisis, working on dozens of COVID-19-related research projects, including PPE, manufacturing of a medical device prototype, a ventilator prototype, a portable air filtration system and exciting research in the treatment for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. 

At the forefront of innovative technologies 

The global pandemic has highlighted the need for rapid, inclusive response to public health emergencies. As a result, following the initial PPE project, the WAMIC team went on to partner with industry partners to help in the fight against the coronavirus. 

During a collaboration with McMaster University, researchers at WAMIC reverse-engineered and created a parametric CAD model of a video laryngoscope sheath to prepare for potential supply-chain interruptions at Hamilton Health Sciences. Laryngoscopes are needed for the intubation procedure for patients requiring assisted ventilation.  

“We can see how we’ve all joined forces to tackle the challenges of the day,” said Marc Nantel, PhD, vice president, Research & External Relations at Niagara College. “Innovative technologies to address the coronavirus arrived in record time, and more locally, we’ve seen our community, stakeholders and industry partners, come together to help each other.”  

One industry partner in particular engaged with the Research & Innovation division during in order to advance its technology of utilizing ultra-violet (UV)-C radiation as industrial disinfection to help kill viruses like SARS-Cov-2. Brilliant Photonics sought the expert help from WAMIC engineers to help reduce manufacturing costs and complexity. 

The College was also awarded a grant of close to $50,000 for the purchase of a biomedically compatible 3D printer for the WAMIC labs in the R&I division to continue COVID-19-related research. 

Previously, WAMIC’s lab capability in this area has been limited to Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3D printers, which are not intended for biomedical material. With this specific equipment, research and development projects pertaining to the coronavirus could proceed with the necessary biocompatible and liquid-tight parameters. 

“The research infrastructure funded by CFI will expand Niagara College’s capacity to serve a wider array of people in need of specialized protection, testing and life-saving medical assistance,” said Nantel at the time.  

Research & Innovation’s activities are in addition to a college-wide effort. In early April, NC donated 30,000 personal protective items, collected from a number of different program areas, to the Niagara Health Foundation. 

As well, the NC Teaching Distillery – with help from NC’s Teaching Winery and Teaching Brewery –utilized its stills to produce 1,700 bottles of hand sanitizer (instead of spirits) to help frontline workers and for distribution to local and province-wide charitable organizations.

With files from InsideNC 

Niagara College has received commendation from the Niagara Region for its role in assisting the community this past year during the pandemic. Award of Merit certificates were recently presented to the College in honour of Research & Innovation’s exemplary support of healthcare workers through the manufacturing and donation of face shields, and for the Canadian Food & Wine Institute’s Feed the Community initiative. 

The recognition is part of the Region’s Niagara Impact Awards, which recognize individuals, non-profit organizations and private sector businesses for their efforts in improving the quality of life of those living in Niagara. Learn more about how College students, staff and faculty are making a difference. 

PROTECTING FRONT-LINE HEALTH WORKERS  

An Award of Merit recognized Research & Innovation’s support of healthcare workers over the past year through the manufacturing and donation of more than 17,300 face shields to Niagara Health. 

“Your ability to pivot, design and manufacture these much-needed shields as well as your generosity in donating those to most in need is outstanding,” states the Award of Merit signed by Niagara Region chair Jim Bradley. 

In 2020, research at the College’s Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (WAMIC) produced 37,300 face shields, certified by Health Canada with a Medical Device Establishment Licence (MDEL Class 1). WAMIC distributed 17,300 face shields to the local Niagara Health System for front-line workers, and the rest were donated to other essential workers and community members throughout the province. 

The WAMIC research team used computer-aided design to create the face shield prototype and then partnered with a local industry partner, Niagara-based Jay-Line, for its die-cutting services to accelerate the number of plastic visors pressed. 

“It’s a priority for us at Niagara College to respond to the needs of our community,” said Marc Nantel, PhD, vice president, Research and External Relations. “We are proud to leverage our spirit of innovation to help support those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Niagara Health expressed its gratitude for the College’s efforts. 

“The Research & Innovation division at Niagara College provided invaluable services at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when PPE inventories were running low, and the supply chains were disrupted,” said Amir Gill, director, Capital Planning, Engineering Services, and Biomedical Engineering, Niagara Health, “The Niagara College team stepped in and started to locally manufacture and supply us with face shields. They continued to send us a daily supply until the supply chains were re-established.” 

The project was funded by the Niagara College-led Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI) through Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) contributions. 

FEEDING THE COMMUNITY 

At the College’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute (CFWI), the Feed the Community program was launched during the Winter 2021 term. The initiative aimed to address food insecurity and to support health and wellness in the community and within the College’s student population.  

Each week, 300 fresh healthy meals were prepared at the CFWI and transported to different shelters on a rotating basis. Some meals were also provided to students living in on-campus residences. 

The meals were prepared, cooked and packaged by participating chefs and student volunteers from the Culinary Management program who used top quality products from supplies in the kitchen labs. The team then connected with shelters to transport all the meals each week to those who needed them. 

The initiative was spearheaded by chef professor Olaf Mertens with leadership from the CFWI’s former associate dean Gary Torraville (director, International). Chefs Dan Leblanc and Tom Liu joined the effort along with four second-year Culinary Management students who volunteered to get involved. Full health and safety measures were followed, noted CFWI dean Craig Youdale. 

“I am immensely proud of our team and their continued support of the Niagara community,” said Youdale. “The Niagara Impact Award of Merit is really special to our staff because it will bring some light to the important issue of food insecurity and also inspire more of our team to join the effort.” 

For a company that fabricates glass structures for the high-rise residential and commercial construction industry, having tools and machinery on its production floor up to the task, is critical.

This is certainly the case for BVGlazing Systems Ltd., a major player in this industry. The company was created in 2016 through the merger of Allan Windows Group and Global Architectural metals Group, two dominant forces in the design, manufacture and installation of commercial and residential glazing, cladding, railing, skylight and entry systems in Canada and the United States for the past 60 years.

BVGlazing’s facilities in Niagara Falls and Concord, Ont., produce curtain wall, window wall, doors and railing systems.

When the company had two corner crimping machines in their Concord plant in need of repair, they sought the assistance of the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (WAMIC) at Niagara College’s Research & Innovation division.

“The parts that came off of the machine were originally cast iron and were cracked and in bad shape,” says Jeremy Pasma, manufacturing engineering manager at BVGlazing. “There were attempts to repair the parts by trying to weld them and bolt extra pieces on, but this was not successful.”

In the fabrication process, crimping machines are used in conjunction with a corner key to crimp the corners on vents and doors to mechanically hold the corners together.

“Normally, I would be able to use CAD software, along with measuring tools to reverse engineer the part, but this top plate was more complex, with a lot of holes and angled faces.”
~ Jeremy Pasma, BVGlazing Systems

The only fix, explains Pasma, was to remake the parts. However, as is often the case with many companies, the company did not have any drawings or 3D models of the part, and therefore did not have a starting point.

“Normally, I would be able to use CAD software, along with measuring tools to reverse engineer the part, but this top plate was more complex, with a lot of holes and angled faces. I decided that a 3D scan would be the best way to produce a 3D file that I would be able to use.”

Pasma is no stranger to the expertise at WAMIC: He employed the technical services of the research engineering team when he needed to rebuild a set of dies for a punch, but again, there were no drawings or 3D files available.

“I was happy with the previous results, so I got them to do my most recent project. They have the right equipment in the Centre to handle this type of work,” notes Pasma.

That equipment is WAMIC’s laser scanning arm, a portable coordinate measuring machine (PCMM) that captures precise measurements with reverse engineering capabilities. The technology is able to digitize complex geometries and create 3D models as future design files.

The research team scanned the cracked part and provided BVGlazing the 3D model, who is now using the 3D file in conjunction with their CAM software to CNC machine a new part.

“Working with the team at the Innovation Centre was excellent. Given that we are currently in a COVID lockdown, the team was still very accommodating,” added Pasma. “If more projects come up in the future that require 3D scanning, the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre will be my go-to for this type of work.”

This is one example of the types of technical services offered by WAMIC’s Technology Access Centre (TAC). Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and housed at colleges or cégeps across Canada, TACs provide access to specialized technology, equipment, and expertise to local industry – particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises – with the goal of enhancing their productivity and innovation.

Through its TAC, the research team at WAMIC provides small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access to needed facilities, equipment, funding and technical expertise – including 3D technologies, such as Computer-Aided Design (3D scanning) of objects as small as a dime and as large as a whole factory – and serves to assist them in product development, technology adoption, expansion into new markets and commercialization.

For more information on the array of solutions offered by the technical services at WAMIC, visit the website.