Expanding business thanks to WAMIC expertise CHALLENGE In order to keep up with the increasing market demand for its wine barrel aluminum racks, local manufacturer Hamill Machine needed to fully automate its welding process, something that had been performed manually. Making the decision to switch to Robotic Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Hamill sought the expertise of the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (WAMIC) to … Continue reading Hamill Machine Company Inc. »
Family farm quadruples strawberry juice output thanks to Niagara College engineers CHALLENGE Simcoe, Ont.-based Meadow Lynn Farms is a mixed farming enterprise that includes cash crop, dairy, CSA market gardens and strawberries. The farm has been family-owned for 73 years. The owners wished to capture a niche market for the thousands of pounds of wasted strawberry seconds (imperfect, under-or over-ripe berries). After designing a larger-scale … Continue reading Meadow Lynn Farms »
PROJECT TYPE Mechanical Engineering Design and Improvement CHALLENGE No longer just a tiny garnish, microgreens — the edible delicacies grown from the seeds of vegetables and herbs — are now a flourishing market in North America. To save farmers time and money harvesting this specialty crop, Niagara’s Hamill Agricultural Processing Solutions added manufacturing to the mix, with its automated industrial system. After success with its … Continue reading Hamill Agricultural Processing Solutions »
Improving automating process at leading biotech firm Project Type Automation and Advanced Manufacturing Techniques Challenge Norgen Biotek is an award-winning company that creates sample kits for DNA, RNA, and protein purification. Norgen wanted to improve its processes to create greater efficiency in production, but did not have the time or resources to devote to research. Solution The research team assisted in the development of tools … Continue reading Norgen Biotek »
Efficiency through virtual factory design Project Type Digital Manufacturing/Virtual Factory Design Challenge Kwik Mix is a manufacturer of high quality premixed concrete products and related items, serving independent lumber dealers and specialty masonry yards. The company wants to relocate its production facility to a new space, with a desire to maximize the layout and functionality of the new plant design before starting the actual build. … Continue reading Kwik Mix »
Development of a dispenser Project Type Material Handling Solution Challenge PaperNuts are an environmentally responsible and consumer-friendly material used to fill the empty space inside shipping boxes. Customers order PaperNuts in large quantities, which are shipped in a bag that typically sits on the shop floor, requiring the customer to then manually fill containers by hand. Solution The Research & Innovation team provided PaperNuts with … Continue reading PaperNuts »
