FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING & ROBOTICS
How Automate Canada Is Leading the Way in the Industrial Automation Industry
Automate Canada is an association that represents Canada's innovative industrial automation sector, supporting its members and helping to advance the industry.
Nicole Vlanlch
Automate Canada is a national association representing companies in the Canadian industrial automation industry.
Founded in 2018 by the Canadian Association of Moldmakers (CAMM) and supported by Invest WindsorEssex and the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program, Automate Canada leads, advocates, and showcases industry capabilities and strengths. Canada has a global reputation as a hub of innovation in manufacturing automation. The industrial automation industry is one of Canada’s most essential technology indus-
tries and contributes an estimated $7 billion to the Canadian economy yearly and creates 40,000 jobs a year. The significant impact industrial automation has on the Canadian economy is just one of the reasons that the CAMM founded Automate Canada.
“Ontario, particularly Southwestern Ontario, has an incredible cluster of advanced technology companies focusing on industrial automation. So it was shocking to realize in 2018 that we had no representation in Canada by an industry association, which is why enthusiasm and support for Automate Canada were so immediate and sustained. It’s been a privilege to represent
our immensely talented and innovative industrial automation sector internationally and domestically,” says Shelley Fellows, Chair of the Board of Directors at Automate Canada.
As an informative community of industry professionals governed by knowledgeable industry leaders, Automate Canada encourages the development and adoption of technology in the manufacturing sector. It's also dedicated to educational institutions and assisting the next gener
ation of industry leaders. It continues to support its members’ success, innovation, and global exposure.
Next Generation of Skilled Talent Finds Solutions at the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute
Christine Rankin
Tfacturing Research Institute (MMRI).
As manufacturers contend with the challenges involved in new production technology, automation, and a quest to leverage data to make better decisions, the MMRI is finding solutions in its resources: world-class facilities, industrial-scale equipment, and the crux of innovation — its people.
The industrial training program at the MMRI is securing the bright minds and expertise needed to innovate and adopt new technologies to add value and enhance functionality.
“Challenging problems drive great research and learning opportunities. Seeing solutions through to implementation ensures economic impact and job creation in Canada,” says MMRI director Stephen Veldhuis. “As we see significant opportunities in industry arise — those involving electric vehicles, aerospace, and energy, particularly nuclear, as well as the medical and food sectors — training the new wave of skilled workers to assist companies has become crucial to delivering cutting-edge results.” In addition to working with industry, the MMRI is also partnering with groups that already have strong connections in the community.
The YWCA Hamilton Uplift Program, supported by the Federal Economic Development Agency (FedDev) for Southern Ontario, provides women and non-binary people the opportunity to reskill or upskill in, among other fields, advanced manufacturing.
Micro-credentials within the nine-month programming occur at the MMRI, where
participants expand their skills — in materials, manufacturing processes, automation, Lean, and Industry 4.0 — and readiness for leadership roles that are under-represented by women.
“The YWCA Hamilton Uplift Program helps participants achieve advanced positions, job security, and higher salaries in advanced manufacturing (and other hightech industries in Ontario) where there's a need for greater gender equality," says Kelley Evans, Uplift Program Coordinator — Advanced Manufacturing.
Lina Tabares, a software engineer with aerospace experience, was one of the participants. “All classes have more than met my expectations,” Tabares says. “It's a wonderfully practical training course, both personally and professionally. I feel more empowered. Online classes have helped me express myself better, and the new skills I've gained have opened many doors for me."
Wardah Al-Juboori, a water hydraulics/ hydrological engineering specialist, says they’re taking away improved knowledge, particularly in the field of Industry 4.0, materials testing, and management. “My understanding of the field of advanced manufacturing has expanded and I've become more confident and convinced that women can be leaders and hold a leadership role in this important field,” Al-Juboori says. “The program has changed my resume to a more targeted and powerful one.”
The MMRI has created 311 new jobs and trained 1,353 people as part of the various training and research experiences generated through close collaborations with industry and community partners.
“Engaging learners in this problem-solving process enriches their learning experience and provides them with the hands-on skills they need to succeed in industry. With strong support from McMaster University, and our industry, federal, and provincial government partners, we're growing the next generation of talent and connecting them with real career-building experiences,” says Veldhuis.
In order to accommodate growing relationships with a wide range of automotive OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), aerospace companies, medical device makers, and companies in the energy sector, the MMRI is expanding, adding capability and improving access to its resources.
A new 21,000 square foot advanced manufacturing research facility will open this fall at the McMaster Innovation Park. It will be conveniently situated by Highway 403 and strategically placed among McMaster’s key innovators to ensure that Canada’s innovations are made here and supplied globally.”
The facility will help the MMRI accelerate its research program and provide more opportunities for technical experts to stay ahead of the curve.
The institute is involved in the Ontario Advanced Manufacturing Consortium and the FedDev Ontario-supported Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI) and iHub programs, which offer expertise to industry partners and finding practical solutions to difficult, real-world problems.
MMRI is finding solutions in its resources: world-class facilities, industrial-scale equipment, and the crux of innovation, its people.
Partner companies like Quickmill and Racer are working with the MMRI to train new users of advanced manufacturing equipment through the training program. Meanwhile, the institute has assisted those companies in developing unique capability for their manufacturing machines, which target many opportunities including electric motor manufacturing and new developments in the nuclear industry. Those machines are now for sale.
Ruyan (Daisy)
Candice Butler CNC operator at Legere Reeds and participant
the YWCA Hamilton Uplift Program
CAMM — The People Who Make Things That Make Things
CAMM continues to cultivate innovative ways to help Canada’s mould-making industry grow and highlight its strengths on the global stage.
For over 40 years, the Canadian Association of Moldmakers (CAMM) has represented the Canadian mould-making industry.
Originally named the Windsor Association of Moldmakers (WAMM) in 1981, CAMM was initiated in 1992 to provide a unified voice for Canadian mould makers, designers, service providers, and suppliers.
CAMM participates in national and international discussions to provide insights on behalf of the industries it serves and advocates for impactful change. For example, manufacturing represents 10.5 percent of Canada’s GDP, and CAMM advocates for challenges and solutions to ensure the industry continues to thrive.
CAMM’s strategic pillars set the framework for how it provides business support to its members, improves skill and talent development while addressing skilled labour
shortages, assists SMEs to grow and expand their global relationships through marketing and collaboration, and encourages advanced technology adoption and a culture of innovation.
“We have done a deep dive into the needs of our members to develop programs that are a first for this innovative and dynamic sector. Many changes and exciting things are on the horizon,” says Jeanine Lassaline-Berglund, President of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers.
CAMM has an impressive history of bringing ideas to fruition. The association encourages the development and adoption of innovative technologies and supports the development of the next generation of skilled trade employees through youth-focused initiatives, partnerships with post-secondary institutions, and the diversification of the workforce.
Manufacturing represents 10.5 percent of Canada’s GDP, and we advocate for challenges and solutions to ensure our industry continues to thrive.
The Canadian Association of Moldmakers has developed global relationships and continues cultivating innovative ways to help the industry grow and highlight its strengths on the international stage.
Humber Engineering Graduates Will Be Prepared to Shape the World
Bachelor of Engineering students gain foundational knowledge and hands-on skills, preparing them to design solutions that will make the world safer and healthier.
Engineering is the application of science and math to solve problems.
But Dr. Farzad Rayegani wants people to know that, at its heart, engineering is a caring profession. Engineers design and build products and processes to make the world safer, healthier, and more fun.
“In everything around you and through human history, engineering has driven the advancement of civilization and increased the quality of life, from health care and transportation, to your workplace and your home,” says Dr. Rayegani, Senior Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology at Humber College.
Dr. Rayegani says students studying in Humber’s four-year Bachelor of Engineering programs will go on to help shape a better future. After a common first year in any of these three degrees, students can specialize in Mechatronics, Information Systems or Built Environment.
Mechatronics integrates mechanical, electrical, electronics and computer engineering with applications in automation in areas including manufacturing, health care, consumer products, agriculture, and mining. Information Systems focuses on cloud computing, smart devices, software,
Internet of Things, and cyber security to design more secure and effective systems to generate, process, manage, store, and communicate information. Built Environment focuses on civil, architectural, structural, and environmental engineering to develop a deep understanding of sustainability, building systems, and infrastructure.
We bring industry to our students and bring our students to the industry, so they have the engineering competencies needed for a changing world.
Learn through hands-on projects and industry experience
The programs blend classroom theory with project-based learning in Humber’s advanced
lab facilities, all taught by professors with industry experience and connections. Students learn using state-of-the-art advanced technology and complete a co-op work program with an industry partner.
“Students learn the fundamental principles of engineering science while using industry tools and mirroring what engineers actually do in the workplace,” Dr. Rayegani says. “We bring industry to our students and bring our students to the industry, so they have the engineering competencies needed for a changing world.”
Dr. Rayegani says that Humber graduates will be prepared to succeed in the future of engineering. “We need highly qualified individuals to solve the challenges society is facing, everything from clean water to cyber security to health care,” he says. “Humber graduates will be ready to define the problems that the modern world is facing and work together to solve these challenges.”
Shape the future with our three engineering degrees that
and innovation.
• Bachelor of Engineering - Mechatronics
• Bachelor of Engineering - Information Systems
• Bachelor of Engineering - The Built Environment
Apply now at humber.ca/engineering
Anne Papmehl
Nicole Vlanich
$5 Says Space Exploration Is More Canadian Than You Realize
Space exploration is entering a new era. In this truly international endeavour, Canadian engineering plays a critical role.
D.F. McCourt
If you have a $5 note in your wallet, you’re carrying around a potent reminder of Canada’s leadership in space. Released in 2013, the $5 banknote in the Frontier series, in blue polymer, was first unveiled on board the International Space Station (ISS) by Colonel Chris Hadfield — an icon of Canadian space exploration. Extending purposefully across the length of the bill is an illustration of Canadarm2, the space station’s instantly recognizable robotic arm that has been critical to so many orbital missions.
As Canada continues to tackle challenges beyond the bounds of the atmosphere, the Canadian engineering brilliance that gave the ISS its reach will be tested once again. And, with an expansive new $100-million global headquarters, MDA, the company behind Canadarm, is more than ready.
Over five decades of Canadian space innovation
Canada’s MDA is a leading provider of boundary-stretching and capability-defining technologies for governments and commercial customers worldwide. For as long as Canada has been a spacefaring nation, MDA and its predecessor companies have played a role in that mission. The company currently has a workforce of over 2,400 employees in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. Soon, at its new purpose-built 200,000-square-foot global headquarters and Space Robotics Centre of Excellence in Brampton, Ont., the facility’s growing team of over 700 specialists and engineers will continue to develop the new vision for space
exploration in the decades to come.
The facility, supported by a $25-million grant from the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, is currently under construction and is expected to be operational in 2023 — and not a moment too soon. The company has completed work on both Phase 0 and Phase A of the new Canadarm3 project for the NASA-led Gateway Moon-orbiting space station and has recently announced $269 million in funding from the Canadian Space Agency to continue with Phase B of the design.
“This is another important milestone for MDA that demonstrates our ability to execute in the rapidly-accelerating global space
We should be proud that Canadian engineering is leading the charge to explore new frontiers and overcome new challenges on Earth, in orbit, on the Moon, and beyond.
economy and further reinforces our role as a worldwide leader in robotics and space operations,” says Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA. “MDA now intends to leverage our world-class engineering capabilities, mission expertise, and cutting-edge Canadarm3 technology with an eye toward commercializing space robotics products in the years ahead.”
The first components of the Gateway space station are planned for launch to lunar orbit in late 2024, and the station will provide an essential base of operations for continued space exploration, including serving as an intermediary for missions to Mars and beyond. Canadian technology and know-how, particularly evident in the Canadarm3 robotics system, will be instrumental in achieving those goals.
Putting boots (and buggies) back on the Moon MDA’s tech is also slated for a debut on the lunar surface. NASA’s Artemis program aims to return humans to the surface of the Moon by 2025, and MDA is working with one of the teams looking to provide mobility services on the Moon — a serious model upgrade from the rover that astronauts Scott and Irwin drove on the Apollo 15 mission. The new human-rated
lunar mobility vehicles are being developed by Lockheed Martin and General Motors. They're designed to be permanently stationed on the surface of the Moon for ridesharing by both private and government space initiatives. Earlier this year, MDA announced a partnership to bring its robotic arm technology to these cutting-edge lunar vehicles.
“We're thrilled to be collaborating with industry stalwarts Lockheed Martin and General Motors on this firstof-its-kind initiative to equip its lunar rovers with commercial robotic arms from MDA,” says Greenley. “We believe this collaboration will enable all three companies to continue to define the art of the possible, push the boundaries of space innovation, and provide the world’s astronauts with the technology they need to reach further than they ever have before.”
Space exploration is everyone’s business
It seems like a new commercial venture is testing a rocket or other piece of space tech every week, and MDA has recently confirmed its first sale of Canadarm3 technology for use in commercial space operations aboard Axiom Station. The station, a project of Houston-based Axiom Space, is set to be assembled and attached to the ISS, and will separate to become its own independent space station when the ISS is decommissioned.
And, just as commercial entities are joining in on the next chapter of space exploration, it’s important to remember that the developments and innovations that are driven by those ventures also provide untold benefits for those of us with our boots stuck squarely on Earth. From camera phones to prosthetic limbs and robotic biopsies and from memory foam to cochlear implants, technologies that were first developed for space travel often find their way back into our terrestrial lives. In fact, if you take your Canadarm $5 bill to the convenience store and buy yourself some potato chips, chances are the bag they come in is made of the same metallized polyethylene that was developed to shield the Apollo lunar lander.
We're a nation of explorers and inventors. And space, like Canada, is enormous. The possibilities for discovery and innovation above are endless, just as the practical and economic benefits for Canadians are limitless. We should be proud that Canadian engineering is leading the charge to explore new frontiers and overcome new challenges on Earth, in orbit, on the Moon, and beyond.
Mike Greenley CEO, MDA