Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Every day, mining companies spend millions of dollars closing tunnels in their underground mining operations in a processthat is characterized as risky at best. Due to the risk of closing off these tunnels, specific regulations are in place, such asplacing walls back 20 feet from the tunnel opening, to minimize workers harm. Yet these safety procedures also increase the cost significantly for closing off the tunnel, and still result in workers being injured. The mining industry has a core policyof increasing worker's safety underground, and reducing the costs of their mining operations. The industrial partner DKRManufacturing has developed a novel invention, whereby the company manufactures a wall made specifically to the size ofthe tunnel, and has telescopic extension poles which allow workers to lift the wall into place from 20 feet away. This uniquewall design allows the mining company to place the wall at the exact location in the tunnel to reduce the costs of re-miningnew tunnels, while improving workers safety by giving the ability to work at safe distances. Through collaboration betweenCambrian College, with expertise in mining engineering and underground testing access not available anywhere elsein Sudbury, and DKR Manufacturing, the wall will be re-engineered to improve on the cost effectiveness of the wall for thecompany, and allow DKR Manufacturing to expand into the rest of Ontario, and into Canada. This will represent a sizeablenew company for the Northern Ontario economy.