Problem solved with 3D printing

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Environmental Instruments Canada (EIC) develops and manufactures radiation-monitoring equipment for safety monitoring and homeland security applications.

“Since the instruments we work with are of high value but low quantity, traditional injection moulding methods to produce the instrument housings are cost prohibitive and restrict rapid development, design iteration and changes,” says Kai Kaletsch, EIC’s president.

A solution came from collaborating with the Research and Additive Manufacturing and Prototyping (RAMP) facility in the Innovative Manufacturing Centre (IMC) at Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Saskatoon campus.

“Saskatchewan Polytechnic introduced us to multi-material 3D printing and worked with us to redevelop our housings with a flexible over-mould that can be produced in a single print,” says Mr. Kaletsch. “This allows the instruments to survive drop tests. And they can be cost-effectively produced in batch sizes as low as a quantity of one.”

Being able to tap into Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s resources has helped EIC bridge a gap related to accessing local industrial and technology infrastructure, notes Mr. Kaletsch.

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Advertising feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications with Colleges and Institutes Canada. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.