Grant: Strategic Network Grants Program

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, has been identified across sectors as the next generation technology that will fundamentally change manufacturing. AM is on the cusp of being widely adopted to replace many conventional manufacturing processes and enable the development of new industry practices. AM products are fabricated directly from computer designs, with precise geometries and material gradients that typically offer higher performance than conventionally made parts. AM is expected to play an important role in the digital transformation of manufacturing known as "Industry 4.0".The proposed NSERC Network for Holistic Innovation in Additive Manufacturing (HI-AM) will bring together leading research groups across Canada and their government, industry, and international academic partners, to coordinate and accelerate national research efforts to overcome critical challenges in AM adoption. HI-AM's multidisciplinary team has pioneered and patented intelligent control technologies, innovative AM processes, and new materials providing a foundation to solve some of the key obstacles facing commercial AM applications, positioning Canada to play an important role in the global AM supply chain. Canadian researchers are also at the forefront of the international effort to develop ISO/ASTM standards for AM technologies. Their industry partners demonstrate the breadth of the research's potential impact, encompassing Canada's aerospace, automotive, defense, energy, natural resources, biomedical and tooling sectors. This will be the first national academic AM initiative in Canada. The timing is critical with the global market for AM expected to quintuple by 2020. The proposed Network is poised to build the partnerships, develop the intellectual property, and train the highly skilled people Canada needs to compete in this crucial emerging arena of advanced manufacturing.