Fleming College has become the latest Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI) member, a Niagara College-led consortium of postsecondary academic institutions that provides competitive, disruptive, and innovative solutions to Ontario's manufacturers.
CAMIIT Lead Research Scientist, Fereydoon Diba, PhD, P.Eng., advises a Research Assistant in the CAMIIT facility.
Two of Fleming College's research centres will oversee SONAMI projects: the Centre for Advancement in Mechatronics and Industrial Internet of Things (CAMIIT) and the Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies (CAWT). The CAMIIT is a multipurpose research centre for industrial research and design projects at Sutherland Campus in Peterborough. The CAWT is an internationally recognized water and wastewater research institute located at Frost Campus in Lindsay.
The addition of Fleming College to SONAMI now brings the total in the network to 11 postsecondary partners, including Centennial, Conestoga, Fanshawe, George Brown, Lambton, Mohawk, Niagara and Sheridan colleges, and McMaster and Queen's University. Fleming's SONAMI projects will be funded through a $2-million investment that the network received from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through an Applied Research and Technology Partnership (ARTP) grant. The partnership will expand the range of facilities and expertise available to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and extend SONAMI's reach further into southeast Ontario.
Through the centralized SONAMI hub, member institutions pool their resources and talent to match them to the needs of SMEs in various industries, giving them access to cutting-edge technologies, knowledge and funding in order to de-risk their applied R&D, create innovative new products and optimize processes.
"Fleming's capabilities through CAMIIT will empower us to deliver cutting-edge solutions in the era of Industry 4.0," said Marc Nantel, PhD, Vice President, Research, Innovation, and Strategic Enterprises at Niagara College. "Additionally, CAWT has the expertise in water and wastewater research that will enhance our capabilities in addressing critical environmental challenges."
"By joining forces with Fleming, we strengthen our commitment to fostering the growth of SMEs in the manufacturing industry through collaborative research projects. Together, we will provide invaluable opportunities for students to gain practical experience and contribute to real-world projects, ensuring a skilled workforce for the future. This collaboration marks an exciting milestone in SONAMI's journey to drive innovation and competitiveness in the advanced manufacturing sector."
CAMIIT and CAWT's capabilities can be used to solve a wide variety of real-world challenges.
CAWT Research Technologist Cayla Austin prepares samples for analysis in one of the CAWT laboratories.
For the past two years, CAMIIT has been expanding Fleming's applied research activities in design, development, prototyping, testing and validation, and improving products and technologies for use in the advanced manufacturing marketplace. Its research has applications in several industries, including asset management, aerospace, computing, communications, agriculture, and mining. CAMIIT excels at working with industry partners through the entire development of a system or technology, designing and testing prototypes through rigorous lab and onsite test procedures until the final product is ready for mass production.
Established in 2005, CAWT specializes in biological treatment (including biofilms and anaerobic biofilters), membranes and filtration, advanced oxidation technologies, low energy and remote systems, stormwater management, cold climate treatment, performance testing and verification, as well as innovative technologies that target nutrients, heavy metals, and contaminants of emerging concern. CAWT has run numerous collaborative research projects in the past, for example, it assisted a manufacturer of advanced water disinfection systems to validate a new line of water purification systems that remove and disinfect contaminants from large volumes of water.
"Joining SONAMI is an exciting opportunity for our CAMIIT and CAWT research centres," said Brett Goodwin, PhD, Executive Vice President, Academic and Applied Research & Innovation at Fleming College. "Being chosen to join this esteemed network allows our researchers and students to take part in new collaborative opportunities to support local innovation.
"Our expertise in design for manufacturing and in innovative water and wastewater technologies will help SONAMI and its SME partners address complex challenges and make a lasting impact on the province's manufacturing sector."
Since the award-winning network's inception in 2016, industry partners have benefitted from collaborative projects by: increasing sales, reducing manufacturing costs, diversifying product lines, and realizing their innovative ideas. To date, SONAMI partners have worked with more than 300 SMEs to complete more than 400 projects resulting in $12.5 million in sales from commercialized innovations, created or maintained over 220 jobs and provided skills and training for hundreds of students to prepare them for future jobs.
To access the advanced manufacturing network, representatives from interested businesses can contact SONAMI's Business Development Lead, Mitchell Lutz at mlutz@niagaracollege.ca. For more information about the network, please visit the SONAMI website.
Videos:
- https://youtu.be/1NOteUfEfjw A video showing the Centre for Advancement in Mechatronics and Industrial Internet of Things (CAMIIT).
- https://youtu.be/yLE6QKpxzZ8 A video showing the Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies
For more information
300 Woodlawn Road, P.O.Box 1005
Welland Ontario
Canada L3C 7L3
www.niagaracollege.ca
