Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Allbutt Mining Supplies Ltd is a Manitoba-based manufacturer and distributor of mining equipment, tooling and supplies, including cutting tools, drills, drifters, polishing pads and many more. One of the flagship products of the company is the Tuffy Core Saw, a 5-horsepower motorized double belt system for slicing through mining core/rock samples. This equipment has proven useful during post-processing of core samples obtained from exploratory drilling activities and is an important equipment for minerals prospecting and production. In 2020, Allbutt Mining worked with the Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM) at RRC Polytech to redesign and redevelop the core cutting system for light-weighting and cost optimization, funded by the NSERC Engage Grants. The team produced a working prototype of the redesigned light-weight equipment, which met the requirements of more flexibility in transportation of the equipment, easier handling, and less overall cost. The prototype was delivered to the company in 2021 and has since been subjected to use as proof of the concept. Meanwhile, the manual nature of the equipment poses significant safety risks to operators as they manually feed the cores into the saw, with proximity of their hands to the cutting tools. In addition, the manual equipment lacks cutting efficiency and does not maximize the linear meter of cuts. Therefore, Allbutt Mining and TACAM have proposed to automate the machine to make it safer and more versatile. The automation effort will include variable control of both blade rotational speed and rock sample feed rate. The TACAM team will capitalize on existing capabilities and expertise in design, industrial automation, human-machine interface, fabrication techniques and systems integration to deliver this project. Allbutt Mining Supplies represents a progressive Small-Medium Enterprise (SME) in Manitoba with a high-priority commitment to research and development activities. The company has the capacity to implement and further advance the results of this project through commercialization of a safe and efficient core cutting machine that is made in Canada. The College team is looking forward to generating new knowledge that benefits students/interns, research personnel and faculty and will be useful in future research engagements.