Aluminum transformation is an important area of research for a number of Québec industries looking for improvements in molding or casting aluminum alloys.

Dr. Franco Chiesa has set up partnerships with multinational RioTintoAlcan (RTA) and with eight Québec small and medium-sized enterprises from various regions including the Saguenay, Cap-StIgnace, St-Cyprien, Drummondville, and greater Montreal.

RTA sub-contracts its casting-alloys research and development to tap into Dr. Chiesa’s expertise and into the research centre’s materials and resources, such as a low-pressure mold press. Most small and medium-sized enterprises have neither the scientific resources nor the specialty equipment to conduct such research. In return, SME projects allow the CCTT to fine-tune its ability to apply scientific principles to real-world problems.

This hands-on problem-solving is a core element of the Chair’s contribution to teaching in the cégep’s metallurgy department, as research projects involve academic staff either directly or through the supervision of students working on projects. The centre also proposes themes for end-of-studies projects, overseen jointly by a professor and Dr. Chiesa, and hires two student interns a year for 14 weeks. The strong working relationship allows professors to inject concrete examples into their courses, breaking from routine and heightening student motivation.

They also provide more up-to-date instruction on cutting-edge topics. Some of the challenges tackled to date include developing alloys with very high aluminum-copper content, die casting of low-iron alloys, high-production modified heat treatments, and direct-pour sand casting. The Chair also organizes its operations so that students can observe castings as part of their courses. Through projects designed by the Chair, two students won the 2013 and 2014 Prix de la relève (next-generation award) at the REGAL (Regroupement Aluminium) student day.

The benefits for SME productivity can prove spectacular as well. One example is a mold initially designed empirically, then “virtually” modified in a three-phase modeling process that not only improved quality, but also increased casting capacity from 10 to 15 units an hour while using 20 per cent less metal. Results from six research projects have been published in the 2014 and 2015 conference proceedings of the American Foundry Society and the 2014 and 2015 annual convention of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.

About Cégep de Trois-Rivières

Fortement impliqué dans le développement socioéconomique de sa région, le Cégep de Trois-Rivières accueille près de 4 1750 élèves inscrits à l’enseignement régulier dans 40... Learn more

In the aerospace field, the quality and reliability of manufacturing processes is vital. Research and development are the very core of this industry and are key to growth and development through innovation.

The use of new materials, such as composites, is increasingly common to reduce the weight of aircraft and improve performance. The Industrial Research Chair in Composite Aerospace Component Manufacturing at Edouard-Montpetit was created from a need expressed by the industry.

This research chair facilitates knowledge acquisition and offers access to a team of specialized workers, factors that can help companies remain competitive in an international market. It also builds knowledge about the manufacture of composite parts, supports the local supply chain, and maximizes training opportunities. It aims to be a “one-stop-shop” for the development of aircraft composites.

Staff at the Centre technologique en aerospatiale (CTA), Bombardier and smaller enterprises such as FDC Composites, Hutchinson and Texonic, along with several university partners, are working in partnership to prove and market new technologies. Dubé has had a direct impact on the training of future aerospace technicians at the École nationale d’aérotechnique (ÉNA) since 2013. ÉNA teachers have been involved in various projects, and in technological demonstrations on resin transfer moulding and infusion which are attended by nearly 120 students every year.

Dubé and his research team facilitate collaboration between SMEs and Bombardier to develop composite parts by providing a cutting-edge technological workshop and a team of specialists. Bombardier is solidly committed to using composite materials in the manufacture of its new devices and its aircraft division is currently developing products that are highly innovative in their intensive use of composite materials. These high-performance materials make it possible to build lighter, more aerodynamic and fuel-efficient aircraft.

To date, several primary aircraft structure parts have been developed at CTA. Since the inception of the Research Chair program, over 100 structural-quality composite parts, from simple test plates to a complex fitting, have also been built. Based in innovation and excellent productivity of local companies, this type of partnership between industry and the research chair provides the aerospace industry with qualified and specialized workers.

“The research framework and CTA’s specialized team have certainly accelerated our development projects,” says Didier Hoste, Section Chief of Aerostructures Technology Development at Bombardier.

About Cégep Édouard-Montpetit

Établissement d’enseignement supérieur francophone, constitué du campus de Longueuil et de l’École nationale d’aérotechnique, le Cégep Édouard-Montpetit met en oeuvre des programmes d’études et des... Learn more

Innofibre is a College Centre for the Transfer of Technology (CCTT) at Cégep de Trois-Rivières focused on production of cellulose products made from wood, pulp, and paper biomass.

Every year, the recycling firm BRQ Fibre & Broyure reclaims more than 100,000 tons of residual biomass, including wood from demolition, deconstruction, and pruning. Traditionally, the biomass has been re-purposed in the energy sector but, as a leading-edge company, BRQ wants to break new ground by introducing innovative products. That’s why its executives called on Innofibre.

In their first partnership, BRQ and Innofibre designed a product made of 100 per cent recycled material, relying on collaborative efforts that allowed for a back-and-forth exchange of expertise. BRQ now has several wood-fibre-based products in its sights, and their development will require larger-scale research with Innofibre.

As BRQ spokesman Jean-Pierre Lafond summarizes, “Innofibre is our research hub. All of our scientific work goes through them.”

Over the past year, Innofibre’s research partnership with BRQ Fibre & Broyure Inc. has generated concrete results in the private sector. The partners now have a series of three-year research projects under development, some of which involve cooperation with other organizations, including La Coop fédérée. Innofibre and BRQ reap tangible benefits from their partnership and knowledge that can be shared with other companies in the biomass-conversion business.

About Cégep de Trois-Rivières

Fortement impliqué dans le développement socioéconomique de sa région, le Cégep de Trois-Rivières accueille près de 4 1750 élèves inscrits à l’enseignement régulier dans 40... Learn more