IAMI - Initiative for Automotive Manufacturing Innovation

World-class automotive research cluster The Initiative for Automotive Manufacturing Innovation (IAMI – pronounced “I am I”) is a world-class materials and manufacturing research cluster whose goal is the investigation and development of new technologies for producing lighter-weight, cost-competitive automobiles. Formed through a collaboration between McMaster University, the University of Waterloo and industrial and government partners, the initiative is focused on establishing a technological edge for Ontario’s automotive industry to ensure its survival and prosperity in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.

Advanced materials and processes IAMI’s research agenda is focused in three main themes that are critical to the success of Ontario’s automotive industry: materials, manufacturing, and performance. Advanced materials research is focused on new or reformulated metal alloys, polymers and composites to meet the performance and cost requirements of the next generation vehicle, while advanced manufacturing processes are being developed for casting, forming, machining and joining. Researchers are also investigating ways to improve product performance by developing methodologies for material and fabrication processes to ensure superior crash resistance and performance.

Where research and innovation meet

“ The over-riding goal of IAMI is to provide the technological edge needed by Ontario’s auto industry to fight off the fierce competition from low labour-cost, often unregulated, countries.”

IAMI’s integrated research approach embraces all aspects of the supply chain from materials selection through to vehicle performance. By focusing on critical factors like vehicle weight, corrosion resistance, quality, performance and manufacturing costs, the initiative directly addresses the issues that are “make or break” for Ontario’s automotive sector.

Technology transfer Considerable emphasis will be placed on rapid technology transfer. IAMI recognizes that the traditional formats for communicating university research – theses, publications and internal reports – are not always accessible to engineers in manufacturing environments. To facilitate the rapid deployment of research results IAMI will establish formal technology transfer projects to support the implementation of research outcomes.

“ The economic impact of IAMI to the Province of Ontario is predicted to exceed $18-billion over a five-year period.”

IAMI strongly believes the commercial application of new technologies and processes is not an automatic consequence of good research; rather, innovations must be actively promoted. IAMI will use the expertise of the Xerox Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at McMaster and the Centre of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology at Waterloo to forge links and collaborative relationships between university researchers and engineers working in the auto industry.

Industry-wide effort McMaster University and the University of Waterloo are home to two of Canada’s leading automotive research institutions: the General Motors Centre for Automotive Materials and Corrosion at McMaster, and the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR). The initiative’s other partners include the province’s most important Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), auto parts manufacturers and materials suppliers: General Motors of Canada, Dana-Long Manufacturing, Linamar, Orlick Industries, Dofasco, Stelco, Vannatter Group, Burlington Technologies, Novelis and many others. New partners will be added as IAMI’s portfolio of research activities expands. IAMI also enjoys the support of two key government laboratories – the Materials Technology Laboratory of CANMET and the NRC Aluminum Technology Centre. Researchers from AUTO21 and several Ontario university and community colleges are also participating.

A new generation of researchers More than 200 researchers will ultimately be recruited and trained in this collaborative research environment. Faculty members at McMaster and Waterloo will be working together with post-docs, doctoral and masters students, research engineers and technicians to implement IAMI’s ambitious research agenda. Students and post-docs will be constantly challenged to assess their work with an eye to technology transfer potential. In this way IAMI hopes to promote a new breed of researcher ideally suited to the application of new technology in industry.

An investment in our future The auto industry is the largest single business sector in Canada, employing some 500,000 people and generating over $100-billion annually in Ontario. One in six Ontarians owe their livelihood, either directly or indirectly, to this industry. The challenges facing the auto industry today are immense. If automotive manufacturing is to survive and prosper in this province, manufacturers must be able to produce vehicles that are more fuel efficient and cost-effective, without sacrificing performance, safety and quality. The transfer of IAMI research results to industry will have significant positive consequences. The economic impact of this initiative to the Province of Ontario is predicted to exceed $18-billion over a five-year period.