Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 2

WORX Environmental Products of Canada Inc., a Calgary-based company dedicated to providing premium quality hand cleaning products, is seeking assistance from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) to redesign its dispensers for the WORX® Biodegradable Hand Cleaner, a powdered cleaning solution for industrial use. WORX's dispensers are currently unable to dispense the powder-based hand cleaner consistently and accurately, and require the expertise of SAIT to improve their design. In 2016, SAIT collaborated with WORX on an NSERC Engage grant funded project that produced a new concept design for the WORX dispensers. In 2018-19, SAIT collaborated with WORX on a one year NSERC ARD2 grant funded project that produced a fully functioning manually operated dispenser. SAIT's Design, Fabrication and Testing (DFT) research group was approached by WORX for a further collaboration to upgrade this design by incorporating real feedback from field testing, to create a touchless version of the manually operated dispenser, and to then prepare both versions for manufacturing. Adding a touchless option and incorporating industry feedback to make a superior product will allow WORX to expand its share of the hand cleaner market, primarily among large industrial customers and perhaps more importantly on the touchless issue, which eliminate contamination issues related to COVID-19.