The world-renowned Fraunhofer Institute of Chemical Technology is looking to land in London Ontario. The University of Western Ontario has signed a memorandum of understanding with Fraunhofer that would see the development of a joint project - the International Composites Research Centre (ICRC).
'This Centre would be unique in Canada and could make London and our region the leading site for advanced composite materials research and manufacturing-scale testing,' said Western President Amit Chakma. 'The international reputation of the Fraunhofer Institute would be a great draw and this facility would be utilized by companies in several industrial sectors including the auto sector, the air and space industry, renewable energy, and construction.'
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the largest organization for applied research in Europe with more than 80 research units, including 62 Fraunhofer Institutes at different locations in Germany as well as research centers and offices in Europe, the U.S., Asia and the Middle East. It has 17,000 staff (mostly qualified scientists and engineers) and has an annual research budget of over $2 billion. Two thirds of the research revenue is derived from contracts with industry and from publicly financed research projects.
The International Composites Research Centre would be located at the new Advanced Manufacturing Park in London. It would focus on the development of light-weight materials to be used by auto parts manufacturers and others in industry that produce structural components from composite material that can significantly decrease product weight.
Western's Vice-President (Research & International Relations), Ted Hewitt says, 'We have already begun discussions and planning that will see us engage other partners from industry, including automotive manufacturers in North America and their Tier 1 suppliers, other universities and national labs in Canada, the U.S. and around the world.'
'Western is an ideal partner for the Fraunhofer-ICT,' says Dr. Frank Henning, Deputy Director of the Fraunhofer-ICT. 'Western has moved with speed to create with us a neutral, university-based platform for applied research. Through the ICRC, North American industry will be able to develop, test, and validate the most advanced materials and processes that will be part of the next generation of competitive, light-weight automobiles, airplanes, construction materials, and so on. We are delighted to partner with The University of Western Ontario, in the City of London, Ontario.'
Dieffenbacher, a leading supplier of industrial press equipment, is a regular equipment partner with Fraunhoffer and Hewitt says it will be advantageous for Fraunhofer and Western to team up with Dieffenbacher to investigate advanced manufacturing processes.
Hewitt also believes that the ICRC is the perfect kind of facility for the Advanced Manufacturing Park.
'It will act as a magnet for industrial product development and from Western's perspective, this expertise will also provide first-class opportunities for basic and applied research, and the training of the next generation of world-class engineers, technicians, and scholars.'
Contacts: Western - Ann Hutchison, Director of Media Relations, 519-661-2111, ext. 85468 Fraunhoffer - Paul Dugsin, Consultant, 519-495-7662
A unique research partnership holds the potential to enhance the life of bridges in Ontario. Engineers at the Surface Science Western laboratories at The University of Western Ontario are working to solve a problem with weathering steel box girders that rust more quickly than they should.
Surface Science Western, a commercial and research materials analysis facility, is partnering with the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO), Essar Steel Algoma Inc. and The Canadian Institute for Steel Construction (CISC) to find a solution to prevent dangerous corrosion on steel girders.
Surface Science Western specializes in using advanced analytical techniques to examine the surface of materials and products for improving their performance and reliability.
MTO has been using ‘weathering steel’ for bridge girders since 1968. Under normal weathering cycles, it forms a tough outer oxide layer referred to as ‘patina’ that protects the steel from unabated corrosion. In some cases however, the patina has been detaching from the steel girders.
Sridhar Ramamurthy, a senior researcher at Surface Science Western, and his colleagues examined samples taken from several MTO bridges using several high-tech methods including electron microscopy, elemental X-ray analysis, laser Raman spectroscopy and Mossbauer spectroscopy.
"The findings were very clear," says Ramamurthy. "In samples with more serious corrosion and de-bonding, we found a greater amount of a mineral called akaganeite. In areas where corrosion was less prevalent, there was a greater amount of a mineral called goethite. This was our clue to the cause of the corrosion."
Ramamurthy explains that, based on the analytical data, the scientists concluded that the presence of de-icing salts and water caused corrosion and the formation of akaganeite. This type of oxide layer is generally porous and would allow more salt to enter and attack the steel girder, thus building in volume and eventually breaking away from the steel girder. In contrast, the goethite structure is more compact and more stable, thus protecting the steel girder from further corrosion.
The objectives of the research are to develop a coating (paint) system for existing bridges that will promote a higher content of goethite, and, more importantly, develop a new grade of steel for the future construction that will also promote the formation of a protective and stable oxide layer, such as goethite structure.
Essar Steel Algoma and CISC were then brought on board by MTO, and working with Natural Resources Canada's CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory (CANMET-MTL), new steel alloys are being developed that contain greater amounts of nickel, chromium and molybdenum compared with the current standard for weathering steel – all found to be beneficial in promoting the formation of goethite.
Financial contributions for this work have been provided by MTO under MTO’s Highway Infrastructure Innovations Funding Program (HIIFP), Essar Steel Algoma, and CISC. The Purpose of HIFFP is to fund research at Ontario colleges and universities to encourage basic and applied reserarch in transportation and infrastructure engineering.
CANMET-MTL has produced five new steel alloys that will be tested in MTO’s environmental chambers containing a high concentration of salt solution, and some of the samples are already showing promise.When it is clear that one alloy out-performs the others, further refinements will take place and eventually a test bridge could be built.
"CANMET-MTL’s expertise in the research and development of new materials such as next-generation steels is at work in Canada’s manufacturing sector," says Christian Paradis, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources. "This partnership helps create economic opportunities in technology and innovation by building relationships between industry, academia and government."
Ramamurthy says the detective work done at Surface Science Western, and with partners at MTO, Essar, CISC and CANMET-MTL, could lead to steel bridges with a longer lifespan.
"Currently, bridges made of uncoated weathering steel may require major rehabilitation after 30-40 years in service. We think that with the right alloy, the required design life of 75 years could possibly be achieved without any major rehabilitation" says Ramamurthy.
Contact: Sridhar Ramamurthy, Surface Science Western, 519-661-2173, sramamur@uwo.ca Ann Hutchison, Director of Media Relations, 519-661-2111, x85468, ahutch2@uwo.ca
Some relationships were meant to last. Since 2001, the collaboration between Meridian Lightweight Technologies Inc. and an AUTO21 research team has lasted through three AUTO21 projects and is still going strong.
Magnesium Casting was one of AUTO21's originally funded projects when the Network began in 2001. Led by Dr. Jeff Wood, an associate professor of mechanical and materials engineering at the University of Western Ontario, the project explored how to enhance magnesium die casting processes. As the project's main industry partner, Meridian Lightweight Technologies provided guidance to the project's development plus cash and in-kind support. Pleased with the results of the initial project that concluded in 2004, Meridian continued to provide support to subsequent projects, Magnesium Casting II (2004-2008) and Magnesium Casting III, funded in 2008 for a two-year period.
Magnesium offers many advantages over other automotive metals - it's the lightest of all structural materials and is 75 per cent lighter than traditional steels. As well, it offers high impact resistance, a high strength-to-weight ratio and can be cast to net shape. It can also offer faster production cycle times as it requires less processing than steel components. Currently, magnesium is used in several automotive components including instrument panel beams, rear sub frames, front end structures and seating. The metal is so promising that Canada, China and the U.S. are collaborating on a joint research initiative called the Magnesium Front-End Research and Development (MFERD) project.
With seven manufacturing facilities worldwide and a global technology centre located in Strathroy, Ontario, Meridian is a leading full service supplier of magnesium die cast components and assemblies. The Global Technology Centre provides in-house testing but as John Jekl, product development engineer at the Centre notes, the focus is on development and not necessarily on research. To better meet their customers' needs, Meridian decided to partner with academic researchers to help fill the gap.
Jekl explained that the initial AUTO21 project resulted from a need for Meridian to better understand the mechanical properties of its magnesium cast components. In consultation with Dr. Wood, Magnesium Casting I focused on developing a mechanical property map of the component that would allow Meridian to understand why properties changed across the part. A key challenge to magnesium casting is that the mechanical properties of large, high-pressure die casts can vary from one location to another. Using numerical simulation could help predict where critical casting defects might occur and how to move these spots to areas within the casting that don't compromise the part's integrity. It could also be possible to design the mould to keep the critical areas stronger and optimized before tooling begins, which would save time and money.
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By Carrie Simmons Thursday, November 5, 2009
Kibret Mequanint knows there is just no substitute for having a strong system of veins and arteries that move blood around the human body.
That's why, as a tissue engineer, he strives to create blood vessel replacements that use components from the body itself.
With traditional prosthetics used in bypass surgery, the risk of a patient rejecting the synthetic tissue is high.
However, the replacement vessels being built by the associate professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering are much more likely to be accepted by the patient's body. After all, he grows blood vessels in such a way that the synthetic part of the vessel breaks down and is replaced with the body's own cells.
In short, he starts the building process and the body finishes it.
'What we do is take cells from patients when they are diagnosed with vascular disease. Then we make a relatively simple, tubular template of a blood vessel and cover it with the patient's own cells. This matures in a special incubator called a bioreactor,' Mequanint said.
'It is in this bioreactor that the cells break down the template and replace it with their own special proteins. It is similar to what the body would produce on its own.'
After the patient's cells have dismantled the template Mequanint and his colleagues built, there is nothing foreign about the engineered vessels. Since the template only exists long enough for the cells to rebuild their own infrastructure, the chance of rejection drops dramatically.
'Because we don't come with spare parts, scientists have had to come up with ways of making replacements for diseased tissues or organs. What we've found is that the best environments are those that are designed and fabricated with the biological environment in mind, so we try to construct our templates that way.'
Template building, however, is not an easy task.
Blood vessels are some of the most difficult tissues to construct because they are constantly battered by the flow of blood and must be able to withstand it.
Another difficulty arises from the complexity of vessels. Mequanint focuses on the middle of three layers that comprise each major blood vessel. This particular layer controls vascular tone; in other words, the relaxation and constriction of the blood vessel. The middle layer is special because it contains the protein elastin, which allows vessels to stretch and return to their original size as blood pressure fluctuates. But he says this protein has been elusive.
'No one seems to be able to design a blood vessel substitute with sufficient amounts of elastin. So our primary research focus is on finding some way of convincing cells to produce this protein themselves.'
But coaxing patient cells into protein production has proven to be tricky. According to Mequanint, cells make elastin only in early stages of development. Adult vascular cells don't normally produce elastin, but instead make collagen - which is a tougher, less flexible material. Right now, his lab is focusing on trying to poke and prod adult cells into 'remembering their past'.
But they have to do it quickly. A further complication in vascular tissue engineering is that blood vessels need to be in good working order immediately following surgery. Mequanint says elastin must be present in at least some amount in order for the tissues to be functional right away. There just isn't time for a lengthy healing process within the body.
'In cartilage tissue engineering, for instance, if there are certain proteins or components missing, you can still implant the replacement because the body will eventually make these things as it heals,' Mequanint said.
'So not having one protein might complicate movement in the case of cartilage replacement, but it wouldn't be fatal. With blood vessels, if they don't function, it is fatal.'
Despite the challenges, Mequanint says his job is rewarding because of the potential to help thousands of Canadians with vascular problems.
'My work is very stimulating, and there is nothing better than to think of the benefits to patients,' he said. 'I look forward to every day on the job. The need for a vascular substitute is huge, and I'm excited to be a part of the process of creating one.'
The writer is a graduate student studying Journalism.
Development of artificial human tissue could soon provide medical trainees with the head start they need to become the next great surgeon.
Researcher Leonardo Millon is developing synthetic human tissue that can provide surgical trainees a lifelike model on which to develop their skills.
Independent researcher Leonardo Millon and his team, under the mentorship of Engineering professor Wankei Wan (Director, Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering), are creating synthetic anatomic models made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) that provide a realistic surgical experience for students.
A multiple Western grad, Millon holds a chemical and bio-chemical degree ('00) and PhD in bio-medical engineering ('06).
Currently, human and animal cadavers are used for surgical training but they come with limitations, a key one being they are not quite like living tissue.
The research is attracting a lot of attention, already netting the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Martin Walmsley Fellowship for Technical Entrepreneurship, and an award of $100,000 over two years. Millon is the first Western graduate to win the award.
As well, Millon has created a start-up company, LifeLike Bio Tissue Inc., to provide surgical training materials to medical schools in southwestern Ontario. He hopes to begin with Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry within the next year.
The model he will produce will give surgical trainees the ability to practice over and over.
'We are proud to honour Leonardo with the Walmsley Fellowship which will accelerate this technology to help him achieve the next level of commercial development,' said OCE President and CEO Mark Romoff, 'His technology could have a profound impact on surgical training, giving surgeons the chance learn procedures faster and with more accuracy.'
The fellowship provided the boost needed to go commercial, he says.
'Without this funding I probably wouldn't have started this company,' says Millon.
He has developed models of different tissues and organs such as the aorta and coronary arteries. They are made from a novel proprietary material that is non-toxic and has a similar composition to soft tissue.
'This really wasn't on my radar,' admits Millon, whose main research focuses on implantation, such as for bypass surgery. 'But the feedback I received was tremendous. Mechanically it's pretty much the same as skin, the same mechanical properties.'
Schulich associate professor Mackenzie Quantz (Cardiac Surgery) was one of the examiners during Millon's thesis and saw potential with PVA material.
'To be honest, I can't really pinpoint what it was that sparked the idea of using it for mimicking skin,' admits Quantz. 'But that's the great relationship we have with bio-medical (program). We create that think tank that allows us to come together on similar problems, with different approaches to the solution.'
Quantz says training opportunities for new surgeons are limited. While current materials look good, they don't have 'the same feel and texture' required for training. He likens the importance of good simulated tissue material to that of flight simulation for pilots and offers a way to move training from the operating room to the classroom.
Millon says with the help of his sister Karen, an Ivey graduate, the pair will look at ways to increase the number of models to be created, as well as prepare to scale up production. Millon says a number of companies worldwide produce artificial human tissue using regular silicone, although they don't always have the realistic feel that surgeon want.
In the future, it's possible these materials will be used in medical schools across Canada, North America and globally.
The Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion, the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building on The University of Western Ontario campus, officially opened its doors during Homecoming celebrations Saturday. The $22-million, 45,000 square-foot building will house research on green technologies, processes and materials and, at the same time, the building itself will feature advanced environmentally sustainable construction technologies and methodologies.
Western President Amit Chakma says the university's new state-of-the-art teaching and research facility will be a benefit not only to engineering students, but the entire campus and beyond.
Western President Amit Chakma
'It will no doubt be the birthplace of many new ideas, discoveries and innovations, advancing our notion of a cleaner planet and a green place to live,' says Chakma.
A unique area of the building to be studied will be the green roof, which is covered with a series of flats that include seven species of drought-resistant sedum, a hardy garden plant. The soil and plants insulate the building for sound, along with increasing efficiency with cooling and heating throughout the year.
A wind turbine and solar panels are also located on the roof to generate electricity for the building.
Engineering Dean Andrew Hrymak says the opening of the building is a landmark day in the history of Western Engineering.
'The building, and its research and educational initiatives, are the cornerstone of what we now know as sustainable engineering,' he says, adding the building is a prime example how engineers are taking a holistic approach to benefit society by recognizing performance in human and environmental health, water savings, energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality.
'Engineering education is more than a classroom or lecture hall,' adds Hrymak. 'Engineering is about pushing boundaries and I am very confident that our students will be recognized for becoming leaders in innovation and design, and sustainable engineering.'
The opening of the new engineering building also gave the university the chance to officially announce the launch of the public phase of its $500-million Make a Difference campaign (2007-2014).
To-date, more than $130 million, or 26 per cent of the overall goal, has been raised. The 2009-10 fundraising goal of $65 million sits at just over $13.1 million, or about 20 per cent.
Quick facts about The Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion:
London, ON - Technologies that improve the resolution of digital cameras, expand memory in portable computers and improve the capacity of medical and industrial imaging continue to shrink in size.
'Something has to give,' says Giovanni Fanchini, who was named Tier Two Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Carbon-based nanomaterials and nano-optoelectronics at The University of Western Ontario this morning.
'Soon, the continued demand for miniaturization will not be sustainable without introducing new components with much smaller dimensions and characteristics than are used today.'
As a result, scientists and industry are turning to nano-devices - objects that are a hundred thousand times smaller than a human hair, but still able to, for example, collect light or operate a digital camera. Current challenges associated with many nanomaterials include the high cost of production and difficulties manipulating them.
Fanchini addresses these concerns by assembling nano-devices from low-cost organic materials like plastics and uses techniques like solution-processing that dissolve materials into droplets of liquid from which nano-devices are traced onto designated locations, like pictures from ink on the tip of a pen.
Nano-optoelectronics work conducted in his lab allows for solution-processing and prototyping novel nano-devices that may dramatically improve and completely transform some objects we use currently, including mobile phones and personal computers.
Fanchini was recruited to Western's Faculty of Science from Rutgers University in the United States.
In addition, two Western Chairholders also had their CRCs renewed for another term:
The Chairs program has been designed to encourage and promote top research and innovation in universities. Tier One Chairs receive $200,000 annually for seven years to fund their research and are awarded to outstanding researchers who have developed reputations as world leaders in their fields. Tier Two Chairholders receive $100,000 annually for five years and are recognized as exceptional and emerging researchers with the potential to lead their respective fields.
Contact:
Giovanni Fanchini Department of Physics & Astronomy 519-661-2111 x 86238 519-931-1293 (c) gfancin@uwo.ca
Douglas Keddy Research Communications Coordinator 519-661-2111 x 87485 dkeddy@uwo.ca
For more information about the Canada Research Chairs program, please visit www.chairs.gc.ca
