Successful Innovative Ideas

Collaborating on innovative ideas with our clients and our community is deeply rewarding. Not only do we get to see your ideas come to life, but each of them helps to advance the manufacturing community and industry as a whole. 

 The Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing (CIM) is proud to highlight just a few of the innovative ideas that have come to life here at the CIM. 

Compact Design Multi-Use Cleaning Tool

Dakota Supplies, a transportation cleaning supply company came to us with a prototype for a unique cleaning tool. We used 3D printing to create a high resolution prototype and 500 manufactured canisters to be used for field trials. 

Modular Solar Roof System 

Finis Energy came to the CIM for help continuing the development of their patented prototype - a cutting-edge solar panel roof tile. This tile replaced asphalt shingles and allowed homeowners to use solar energy to generate electricity. It was easy to install and had an interlocking design that allowed for individual replacement when needed. 

Good Morning Snore Solution®

Dr. Nancy Markley, President and CEO of MPowRx, came to the CIM to leverage technical expertise and rapid prototyping technology to modify the product design of the Good Morning Snore Solution, an innovative anti-snore device. She also wanted to test packing options. Using 3D printing and vacuum forming technology, Dr. Markley was able to implement adjustments to various prototypes prior to mass production. The innovative anti-snoring device is now sold in 43 countries on five continents around the globe.

“This work was really on the critical path for us to go global with the product. It led to our ability to scale the business and then evaluate new market opportunities not currently being targeted.” 

Dr. Nancy Markley, President and CEO of MPowRx

iTClamp® 

 The iTClamp® is an easy to use medical device designed to instantly clamp a compressible wound shut and promote natural clotting, staving off further blood loss until a wound can be thoroughly addressed in hospital. Dr. Fillips and Dr. Ian Atkinson came to RDC’s Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing to translate their 3D CAD drawings into 3D printer-generated working prototype components. They needed to assess the form, fit and function of each of the different prototypes. The iterative design-build-test process produced 34 different 3D print prototypes over approximately nine months. With only subtle changes, the final iterations from the 3D prototypes were ultimately used to make the production molds. Today the iTClamp has been approved for sale as a class-two medical device (prescription only) throughout North America, Europe and Australia. 

“This work was really on the critical path for us to go global with the product. It led to our ability to scale the business and then evaluate new market opportunities not currently being targeted.”  

 Dr. Ian Atkinson 

Simitri Stable in Stride™

 Veteran veterinarian Neil Embleton has performed thousands of traditional procedures (Tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) and Lateral fabellar suture (LFS)) to repair torn cranial cruciate ligaments in dogs. The TPLO procedure involves cutting bone and changing the biomechanics of the joint forever. The LFS helps with stability, but can significantly restrict mobility. While these two procedures have long been considered the golden standard for treatment, “I always thought that we could do better,” said Embleton. 

 Neil and his surgical partner Veronica Barkowski brainstorm an alternative procedure that would promote both stifle support and joint mobility. After exploring multiple avenues to manufacture a prototype, Embleton found the CIM. “Finally, sort of at my wits end, I went to Red Deer College, and that’s when things really started to move along.” Staff at RDC’s Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing applied their engineering expertise and rapid prototype technology to help develop several prototypes for testing. “The last prototype that we made worked beautifully,” said Embleton. With just a bit of fine-tuning the device was ready for clinical trials. 

 The Simitri Stable in Stride™ implant is a three-part, modular device made of surgical grade stainless steel and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. It provides joint stability and permits a near normal range of motion. Most dogs are weight-bearing the day after surgery and strength tests indicate the device should last the lifetime of the animal.  Embleton decided to license the technology to a trusted manufacturer (New Generation Devices) out of New Jersey so that he and Barkowski could focus on perfecting the surgical technique and then teaching it to others.

“They were very open and very helpful. So much so that I’ve already gone back and asked to work with them again on another, related project.”

 Neil Embleton, Veterinarian