Durham College (DC) today announced the introduction of the new Fortus^® 360mc rapid prototyper that was recently installed inside the Integrated Manufacturing Centre (IMC) at the college’s Oshawa campus. The installation of the new machine is the result of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) $150,000 Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI) grant that was awarded to the college in April via NSERC’s College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program.

Designed for users with demanding applications for high accuracy prototyping and direct digital manufacturing, the new equipment will offer the college access to a new way of providing applied research support to local businesses and industry while further anchoring its position at the forefront of the advanced manufacturing industry.

“We are very excited to offer this new technology to businesses in the community that would like to engage in applied research with Durham College,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, director, Office of Research Services and Innovation (ORSI), DC. “In addition to offering a significant advantage in terms of quickly developing and refining prototypes at a low cost – allowing our industry partners to move into commercialization faster – our students will be given the opportunity to learn this cutting edge technology, an important skill they will take into the workplace upon graduation.”

Students studying in the college’s Mechanical Engineering Technician and Mechanical Engineering Technology programs will have the opportunity to gain hands-on, practical experience in rapid prototyping operations while working closely with industry during research projects. This will provide them with additional skill sets including creative designing, business process optimization and maximizing cost effectiveness.

Powered by Fused Deposition Modeling™ (FDM) technology, which is the industry’s leading additive manufacturing technology and the only one that uses production-grade thermoplastics enabling the most durable parts, the Fortus^® 360mc is the latest piece of equipment to be installed in the IMC, a world-class, industrial-grade, automated facility that houses major equipment for automatic identification (bar code and radio frequency), industrial networks, material handling and industrial robotics. Manufactured by Stratasys, the Fortus 360mc was acquired from industry partner Cimetrix Solutions.

The ARTI grant is designed to support the purchase of equipment and installations to foster and enhance the ability of colleges to undertake applied research, innovation and training in collaboration with local companies through NSERC’s CCI Program, which supports applied research that facilitates commercialization, as well as technology transfer, adaptation and adoption of new technologies.

ORSI provides an important link to the community through its support and advancement of institutional effectiveness and contribution to the economic performance of the region, using a collaborative culture of engagement that is student-centred and community-focused. ORSI is comprised of three teams – Applied Research; Institutional Research and Planning; and Program Development and Quality Assurance.

NSERC is a Canadian government agency that provides grants for research in the natural sciences and engineering. The council promotes discovery by funding research conducted by post-secondary professors and students and fosters innovation by encouraging Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research and training. 

With headquarters in Oshawa, Ont., Cimetrix has been helping commercial and academic clients for more than 20 years and is recognized as an authority in the field of additive manufacturing applications. Cimetrix will continue to play a key role in the implementation of the new equipment at the IMC, with ongoing education and support to researchers.