To demonstrate the impact that applied research projects make on all Manitobans, we present RPI’s 20 Stories for 20 Years. A compilation showcasing successful partnerships from the past and the present, with a constant focus on the future.

Manitoba’s aerospace industry faced a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) challenge: repairing aircraft components made from alloys highly susceptible to degradation and oxidization. These materials are lightweight but costly to maintain and repair—until now.

A collaboration between StandardAero and RRC Polytech’s Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM) proved that cold spray technology can provide an innovative solution that meets the Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) standards.

“I was very appreciative of the work that RRC Polytech performed on this project and pleased with the collaboration between the two technical teams to produce an output we’ll hopefully be able to use for years to come,” says Brent Ostermann, Vice President of Product Assurance and Quality at Standard Aero. “[Cold spray] is going to help us advance our business, technology and capability in the future.” 

Cold spray is an additive manufacturing process where metal particles half the thickness of a strand of hair move at 23 times the speed of sound, impacting to a surface to form a bond. Light alloys are highly reactive so they can’t be repaired using traditional methods like welding, but they can be repaired using cold spray because the process occurs at a very low heat.

StandardAero worked with RRC Polytech researchers, faculty and students to identify which alloys had the best bonding properties and prove the technology’s capacity to repair those materials.

“Now that we have the proof of concept on specific materials, we’ll look at the data and identify some candidates from all the products we service…Sometime in 2025, we’ll start applying the technology to those products,” says Ostermann. “We believe this project has positioned us to be right there with the demands of the OEMs as they need new and advanced repair technologies to support their products.”

TACAM’s strong presence in the aerospace sector, experience with cold spray technology from ongoing projects and long-standing relationship with StandardAero made the Centre an ideal partner. 

“We were a bit challenged on having some of the internal expertise,” says Ostermann. “The collaboration gave us the bandwidth to get to the end result much quicker.

The year-long project took place at the Centre for Aerospace Technology & Training (CATT), co-located at StandardAero’s Plant 5 facility, engaging RRC Polytech researchers, faculty and students. It allowed the College and StandardAero to build in-house capabilities, provide training and foster technology transfer to support this MRO method. 

Along with producing highly skilled graduates, this project will have a broader impact across our province: The new experience and capabilities developed with cold spray technology can be transferred to support partners in other sectors across Manitoba.

“This project showed TACAM’s ability to push the boundaries of advanced manufacturing and repair techniques for critical aerospace components,” says Ryan Cummine, Research Manager, TACAM. 

“We are proud to have supported one of the province’s leading aerospace companies in developing innovative techniques for aircraft component repair by combining advanced manufacturing technologies and applied research.”

To demonstrate the impact that applied research projects make on all Manitobans, we present RPI’s 20 Stories for 20 Years. A compilation showcasing successful partnerships from the past and the present, with a constant focus on the future.

It was once unfathomable to build an electric battery that could power a Tundra Buggy in Churchill’s extreme weather conditions and allow visiting tourists to marvel at the wonders of nature in near silence. And yet, that’s exactly what RRC Polytech’s Vehicle Technology & Energy Centre (VTEC) and industry partner, Noble Northern, accomplished through applied research. 

“Our teams worked together on the design and integration of the electric components, focusing on optimizing performance, range and reliability,” said Tye Noble, CEO of Noble Northern.  

On Aug. 24, 2021, Frontiers North Adventures and RRC Polytech unveiled the first Electric Vehicle Tundra Buggy®. Ever since, the EV Tundra Buggy has reduced Frontier North’s GHG emissions and operated in all of Churchill’s subarctic seasons.

This zero-emission vehicle technology initiative leveraged Noble Northern’s in-depth knowledge of EV conversion and built on VTEC’s existing work electrifying transit buses. 

“This involved extensive engineering work, including adapting the vehicle’s existing systems to support the new electric powertrain and ensuring that all modifications met rigorous performance and safety standards,” said Noble.

Together, they repurposed an e-bus battery to create an innovative solution that reduces noise pollution and addresses the climate crisis at a local level. The EV Tundra Buggy garnered massive media interest, solidified RRC Polytech’s reputation as a leader in EV technology and promoted the geography and people of Northern Manitoba. Noble said the partnership with VTEC significantly elevated the company’s profile in the EV conversion industry. 

“Working on the EV Tundra Buggy project allowed us to showcase our technical capabilities and commitment to innovation,” said Noble. 

“It also provided us with valuable experience in adapting our technology to specialized applications, which in turn attracted further opportunities and projects. The success of this project reinforced our reputation for delivering high-quality, effective solutions, and enhanced our business relationships and market position.”

The EV Tundra Buggy was made possible through the province’s Conservation and Climate Fund and the Vehicle Technology Centre (VTCI) — a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Manitoba’s heavy vehicle manufacturing sector. VTEC also provided in-kind support and technical services.

“The EV Tundra Buggy project is a quintessential made-in-Manitoba story. It has links to conservation, tourism and environmental stewardship, highlighting the ability of industry partnerships to create positive impact in Manitoba, for Manitobans, through reducing environmental impact and benefitting our local economy,” said Fred Meier, President and CEO, RRC Polytech.

It was just a few months after the unveiling, that Red River College evolved into RRC Polytech to better reflect its rapidly growing applied research capabilities and academic agility to support industry with the workforce of tomorrow. The EV Tundra Buggy project helped demonstrate to Manitobans that polytechnics help make things possible – things that would be impossible, were it not for our involvement. By the time, the project was featured in 2023’s comprehensive billboard, radio, print, digital and bus bench advertising campaign, the institution’s new identity had been embraced and it was chosen to showcase how we find solutions to local and global problems.

The project continues to resonate for all three partners today, as Frontiers North continues to shift its entire touring fleet of Tundra Buggies from diesel-powered to battery-electric. While in addition to lending their support, VTEC and Noble Northern are also using the valuable knowledge gained in their first successful endeavour, as they team up on an active school bus electrification project.

To demonstrate the impact that applied research projects make on all Manitobans, we present RPI’s 20 Stories for 20 Years. A compilation showcasing successful partnerships from the past and the present, with a constant focus on the future.

Established in 2004, Research Partnerships & Innovation (RPI) leads the applied research  enterprise at RRC Polytech. RPI is a gateway for industry and community to access the vast base of knowledge, capabilities, facilities and networks that reside at Red River College Polytechnic — a Canadian leader in applied research (AR) and commercialization.

RPI also proactively identifies practical AR opportunities that can provide mutual benefit to both the College and potential partners of all sizes with a focus on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Through our Office of Applied Research Services (OARS), RPI oversees the administration of all research activities across the College.

Along with granting a variety of credentials and delivering skilled trades programming, AR is one of three pillars that define a polytechnic. It connects all areas of the College, it differentiates us from other post-secondaries in Manitoba, and our unique approach to align Research with Indigenous Strategy and Business Development positions us as a leader on the global stage.  

In its two decades of existence, our AR operation has reached an impressive scale through hard work, relationship building and a focused effort to lead innovation in Manitoba. Through our wide array of leading-edge facilities, expertise and technology, we can essentially support any industry, business or community, at any stage. We are eager to strengthen our leadership position in the innovation ecosystem and collaborate on AR projects that drive progress across our province and beyond.

RPI’s areas of specialization include: 

• Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics 
• Cleantech with focus on EV and building efficiency 
• Health, nutrition and social sciences with focus on culinary research and food innovation 
• Early childhood development research 
• Enabling adoption of digital technologies including AI and automation  

Through collaborative AR projects, we help transform the dreams and ideas of our partners into reality while providing students with invaluable experience through work-integrated learning. Our award-winning work is often admired as the gold standard, and has driven Manitoba forward economically, environmentally, socially and culturally – positioning the province for success in a globally competitive environment.

RRC Polytech has been demonstrating what is possible in Manitoba for 20 years. We want to thank our generous funders and supporters, and of course, all of our partners for trusting us to help achieve their goals by developing new products and processes that drive growth for everyone. We look forward to building on those relationships, as together, we’ll create a prosperous, sustainable and inclusive future for all.

In acknowledgement of our 20^th anniversary, we wanted to showcase some of the successes we’ve shared with our partners, past and present. Each week we’ll release a new installment of this online series entitled RPI’s 20 Stories for 20 Years. We’ll provide recaps of previous posts and include updates on related accomplishments achieved since the original publish dates. We’ll also explain what our talented teams learned along the way to make us better at what we do and how the project made a positive impact on RRC Polytech.

With literally thousands of projects to choose from, we’re confident these 20 stories will highlight our strengths and capabilities, show the depth and breadth of the work we do, and spark interest in pursuing an AR collaboration with us.

Please enjoy these stories and reach out to rpi@rrc.ca so that your innovation can be featured at RPI’s 25^th Anniversary!

Dr. Jolen Galaugher

Director, Research Partnerships & Innovation, RRC Polytech