Waterloo auto research receives major support

from the media relations office, with photo courtesy of NSERC

On Friday, a research project at the University of Waterloo that will lead to lighter automotive components that will be stronger in a crash was among the initiatives that received funding from Automotive Partnership Canada (APC).

"The University of Waterloo is home to some of the most innovative automotive research taking place in North America," said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president & vice-chancellor of Waterloo. "The kind of support announced today helps researchers make vehicles that are safer, more fuel efficient and with minimized emissions."

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), was at Waterloo today to announce five new research projects that will receive a total of $21.4 million in APC support.

Professor Michael Worswick of the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Waterloo is affiliated with the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR), and leads the Waterloo project that received support today. The research will result in the development of ultra-high-strength car components involving the hot stamping of boron steels to improve resistance in side and front-end crashes. The project received $1.1 million from APC today, including $605,000 from the Government of Canada and the rest in financial and in-kind support from Honda R&D Americas, Magna International, ArcelorMittal Dofasco and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.

"Hot stamping is currently used in the automotive B-pillar, or door post, between the front and rear seats, which provides protection during side impact," said Professor Worswick. "What we are doing is seeking to produce hot-stamped components with what we call tailored properties, where some areas of the part are strong to provide protection, while others are more pliable to help dissipate the crash energy and reduce vehicle weight."

Professor Amir Khajepour, of the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Waterloo and WatCAR, also received funding today from APC. The joint research project with Simon Fraser University is investigating refrigeration and air conditioning for service vehicles that would produce fewer emissions. Waterloo's portion of the APC funding for that project is approximately $1 million.

Established in 2009, Automotive Partnership Canada (APC) will provide $145 million in research funding over five years to support significant, collaborative R&D activities that will benefit the entire Canadian automotive industry. This initiative is a partnership between five federal research and granting agencies under the Industry Canada umbrella.

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Warriors tame Mustangs, advance to OUA West Division finals

with files and photo from Waterloo athletics

In a 5-3 upset, our Waterloo Warriors (@UWWarriorHockey) mens hockey club knocked out the no. 1 seed in Ontario men's hockey to advance to the Ontario University Athletics West Division finals.

The Waterloo victory sent shockwaves through the OUA, as the Western University Mustangs – the two-time defending conference champions who were ranked third in the nation – suffered their earliest playoff exit since 2008. Meanwhile, the Warriors will advance to the OUA West finals for the first time since 2007, where they'll take on the Windsor Lancers.

Read the full article.

#goblackgogold

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New 3-D print centre brings rapid prototyping to Waterloo

by Russell Wong, faculty of engineering

Faculty, staff, and students from across the University are invited to attend the grand opening of the new 3D Print Centre in Engineering 5, taking place at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, February 27. The 3D Print Centre is the first facility of its kind at Waterloo, offering rapid prototyping and manufacturing services to our campus.

The star of the show is the Fortus 360mc, a “fused deposition modeling” (FDM) machine that builds parts layer-by-layer using polycarbonate and ABS plastics. Available in a variety of colours and surface finishes, the finished products vary in strength and durability (depending on the materials used), and have already been put to good use by Engineering’s student design teams. Purchase of the Fortus was made possible by a $100,000 grant from the DENSO North America Foundation to the Student Design Centre, combined with generous discounts from Stratasys (manufacturer) and Cimetrix Solutions (supplier).

With the Fortus installed and fully operational, the 3D Print Centre is now ready to expand its services beyond the student teams. Through collaboration with Retail Services, any Waterloo student, staff, or faculty member can submit design work for print production at any media.doc location.

While online 3D print services have popped up all over the web, members of the Waterloo community will be hard-pressed to find a better deal. “We are pleased to provide this service to anyone at the University of Waterloo for the cost of materials alone,” says Peter Teertstra, director of the student design centre. “With costs ranging between $5-10 per cubic inch, depending on the finish, we are by far the cheapest 3D printer around.”

The grand opening will be held in E5-2004 at 2:00 p.m., and will include demonstrations of the Fortus’s capabilities. You can also visit the 3D Print Centre website to find out more about the service and what it can do for you.

 

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Welcome back! Now choose your courses....

The Registrar's Office would like to remind students that enrollment appointments have been discontinued and instead, students can choose their Fall 2013 classes during Course Selection Week, which runs from today until Friday, March 3.

According to the Registrar's Office, students will get one chance to pick the Fall 2013 courses they want through their Quest account. Depending on the students' program or plan/major, their core or required courses will be placed into their course list. Students can still adjust their schedule during the drop/add period from July 29 to September 20, and can drop a course without penalty until September 27.

This Course Selection week opportunity will help students avoid long lineups and course override forms.

 

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Monday's notes

This is a reminder that tickets are still available for an International Women's Day Dinner at the University Club, hosted by the university's Women's Studies program, on Friday, March 8. Professor Wendy Mitchinson, Canada Research Chair in Gender and Medical History, will be the keynote speaker, with a talk entitled "Fighting Fat: Mother-Blaming in Canada, 1920-80."

 

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