News
Canadore College unveils new advanced composites facility
Canadore College showcased its new Advanced Composites Fabrication, Repair and Test Centre (ARC-TC) to dignitaries, industry and the broader community Friday morning.
September 18, 2015 By Canadore College
The Centre features new lab space for composite materials and non-destructive testing and is appointed with specialized equipment that will enhance student instruction and industry innovation.
“The aerospace industry is changing daily, and we knew that we had to meet this demand through facility and program evolution,” said George Burton, President and CEO at Canadore College. “Making change and having it stick demands collaboration. In this way, we are very fortunate to have the support of our governments, industry across Canada and our community.”
The three new labs are equipped with a magnetic particle inspection station, a liquid penetrant inspection line, a walk-in curing oven, a large-scale composite metal freezer and more.
“Our equipment list gives us a unique competitive advantage,” said Burton. “We are the only college in Ontario to be able to offer this range of capacity to industry. The Centre also provides a platform for program development and expansion.”
ARC-TC is one of Canadore College’s applied research hubs. The Centre will work closely with the College’s Innovation Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Production (ICAMP) to provide more opportunity for industry to partner with academia in order to improve design, process, production, development and business planning. Canadore’s applied research hubs also assist companies to access funding opportunities.
“It is of the utmost importance to us as a college to continue providing our students with applied learning opportunities,” said Burton. “It gives them real-life experiences, teaches them the value of collaboration and also builds confidence.”
Construction of the new Centre began in September 2014 and cost approximately $4.5 million with work done by Larocque Elder Architects (LEA) and Kenalex Development Ltd.
Burton says another phase of expansion is on the horizon, which will position Canadore College for serving the aerospace industry for the next 40 years. Canadore celebrated 40 years in aviation in 2013.
