Extreme weather testing facility coming soon to Red River College
Red River College today announced the next steps on the construction of MotiveLab – a highly-specialized extreme weather testing facility that will be the first of its kind in Western Canada.
MotiveLab is a 3,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility – essentially a giant heater or freezer – that will work in close connection with industry to provide testing for heavy vehicles of all shapes and sizes, including transit and highway buses. Already, companies have identified more than 65 full days of demand for MotiveLab’s research and development services.
“Manitoba’s heavy vehicle manufacturing sector is a cornerstone of our economy, and this research and testing facility is a direct result of our close ties with manufacturers, as well as our efforts to meet current and future training and technology needs,” said Paul Vogt, president & CEO, Red River College. “It’s an approach we are taking across all sectors to help local industry innovate, create jobs of the future and be more competitive in the global marketplace.”
Today’s announcement provides a total of $6 million from the federal and provincial governments and RRC for the construction of MotiveLab, a climatic chamber that allows for year-round testing to be conducted at extreme temperatures and under full loads with using a 1,000 horsepower, three-axle, dynamometer. The program will also train students in this highly-specialized and emerging program area.
“The heavy vehicle sector is faced with increasingly stringent environmental demands, which has its players pushing the envelope in terms of new design and technology implementation,” said Ray Hoemsen, executive director, Research Partnerships & Innovation, Red River College. “This all gives way to ever greater research and testing needs. MotiveLab will be a unique Western Canadian facility that will help give Manitoba firms a competitive edge.”