NRC and Polycontrols partner on cold-spray additive manufacturing tech

July 18, 2019 – Metal additive manufacturing, with its high flexibility in design and physical properties, continues to impact the manufacturing sector by using new approaches to conceive, reduce material waste, and bring products to market faster.

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Polycontrols, a Quebec-based company specializing in surface engineering solutions and equipment integration, have partnered to build a new, collaborative research facility to help manufacturers and researchers study, adopt and deploy cold-spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) technology.

Expected to open in February 2020, the Poly/CSAM facility will be located at the NRC’s Boucherville site in Quebec. Specifically, Poly/CSAM will focus on scaling up the CSAM process by helping industry adapt laboratory-developed technology to meet factory and mass production requirements. The six-year venture will also offer training for manufacturers to ensure the technology is implemented safely and securely.

Poly/CSAM will offer a combination of unique technologies such as surface preparation; coating and 3D buildup by cold spray; local, laser-based thermal treatment; in-situ robotic machining and surface finishing; state-of-the-art sensor technologies; extensive data logging and analytics; and machine learning.

“We see Poly/CSAM as a way to strengthen Canada’s industrial leadership in cold spray additive manufacturing and becoming more agile and competitive on the national and international scene,” says Luc Pouliot, vice-president operations of Polycontrols, in a release.

With funding from Investissement Québec, the Business Development Bank of Canada, and Bank of Montreal, Polycontrols is launching the first phase of this strategic growth initiative with an initial investment estimated at $4 million over the next six years.

The NRC will also support technology development, and provide strategic advice and technical services with a professional team of over 40 experts.