Creating a custom spinach harvester Project Type New Product Development and Process Improvement Challenge Durham Foods grows hydroponic spinach in a safe and pesticide-free greenhouse environment. They are the only farm in North America that commercially produces hydroponic spinach year-round. As a leader and a pioneer, they are the first to face fundamental challenges in the industry, including time-intensive manual harvesting. Solution The research team … Continue reading Durham Foods »
Process improvement for online clothing supplier Project Type Process Improvement Challenge Calhoun Sportswear® manufactures and supplies licensed NHL apparel and beachwear for an online shopping website throughout North America. Solution The research team implemented lean manufacturing practices and innovation by first observing workflow patterns, collecting data and evaluating the existing process, and then modifying and refining the one-piece flow process to improve efficiencies and accommodate … Continue reading Calhoun Sportswear »
PROJECT TYPE Productivity Assessments CHALLENGE Westbrook Floral Ltd., based out of Grimsby, is one of the leading floral wholesalers in North America. Westbrook has expanded from 14,000 sq. ft. to 1.5 million sq. ft. of greenhouse space and 250,000 sq. ft. of production and office space. The company required a productivity assessment to focus specifically on the bouquet assembly line in order to identify areas … Continue reading Westbrook Floral Ltd. »
PROJECT TYPE Productivity Assessments CHALLENGE Multiplex Manufacturing is a full-service parts manufacturing company serving Tier 1, 2 and 3 automotive suppliers, as well as aerospace, medical, and oil and gas industries. The facilities have more than 45 machines operating in over 20,000+ sq. ft. in two commercial buildings and the company employs over 40 employees throughout three production shifts. Multiplex is certified to the ISO … Continue reading Multiplex Manufacturing »
PROJECT TYPE Productivity Assessments CHALLENGE Maplecraft Doors in St. Catharines, manufactures custom and standard cupboard doors, as well as dovetail drawers and custom wooden range hoods. They did not want to go to an automated tracking system as they did not have success when they tried in the past. Instead, customer orders are tracked through a barcode system, although there isn’t a system in place … Continue reading Maplecraft Doors »
Process improvement for local manufacturer Project Type Process Improvememt Challenge W.S. Tyler produces screening materials for the mining, aggregate and industrial minerals industries. They have two automatic looms that weave the screens, but these devices represented a bottleneck in their operations. Production of the screening materials needed optimization, but the company did not have the time or expertise to address this. Solution Niagara Research’s advanced … Continue reading W.S. Tyler »
