The CIC provides project management, engineering consulting, process development and testing services to support industry in developing and commercializing composite materials, products and processes.
Many companies have projects they are unable to pursue successfully due to a lack of resources. These resource gaps may be in technical areas, project management, education, funding, or even the absence of a project partner. The CIC has an engineering staff to assist companies by providing proposal preparation, project management and technical and business consulting services. In many cases the CIC has the ability to contribute towards project costs or find alternative funding sources.
The CIC approaches project planning in a strategic manner to optimize the participants’ efforts in preparing and approving project plans. Nondisclosure and intellectual property agreements are incorporated early in the project planning phase to protect even the most discreet projects.
The CIC’s key competence is in its ability to support the planning and implementation of industry sponsored projects by:
• Assembling the most suitable partners
• Facilitating preparation of the work statement/plan
• Negotiating roles and responsibilities
• Developing a suitable funding model that combines industry and
• government contributions
• Negotiating agreements on intellectual property
• Managing projects and
• Keeping abreast of the latest developments in composite manufacturing
• technologies and materials
On occasions where the client is lacking a technical capability in a project, the CIC offers a wide range of services including;
An engineering design and analysis capability to support industry’s product design needs using:
• Computer aided design (CAD) software – CATIA V5 and AutoCad
• Finite element analysis software for structural analysis – Algor
• Specific composites related analysis software including classical
• laminate theory
Composites process and test laboratory that includes:
• A fully operational pilot bio-composites board processing capability
• Liquid resin moulding equipment
• An oven/vacuum cure capability
• A test sample preparation area, and
• Test equipment to assess resin heat distortion temperature, resin
• viscosity, fibre content and the flammability of cured composite parts
For customers requiring unique services, the CIC has access to supplemental composite process and test capabilities through close working relationships and agreements with industry and research organizations.