Issue link: http://georgiancollege.uberflip.com/i/802827
When Randy Chotowetz, Owner and President of RM Products Ltd, wanted an analysis on a new product, he knew where to turn. Chotowetz utilized the services of Georgian's Centre for Applied Research and Innovation (CARI) in the past and was pleased with the help he received. "When I read about research at Georgian in a newspaper article I thought, what a great idea," says Chotowetz. "Being in business as long as I've been, you realize how important it is for college students to gain practical experience." Chotowetz firmly believes that partnering with Georgian is a win-win proposition. "If I can help students gain practical knowledge, it's good for our community, our country and good for business in general." RM Products Ltd produces pre-engineered modular fiberglass (non-corrosive) structures that can be used in a wide variety of applications. Chotowetz was interested in exploring a new niche market for the structures. "We wanted to see if we could make large, strong, simple components of fiberglass building systems that could be erected in areas not necessarily accessible to get to – like jungles, mountains and the extreme north," says Chotowetz. "There are a lot of industries operating in these areas that need large portable containers for a variety of uses and it's not easy to transport large, heavy steel containers to them. Plus, steel containers eventually corrode and rust." "Randy approached us about creating three- dimensional models of his product and conducting research on whether we could validate the design for production," says Jack Meher, student lead on the project. Meher, a Mechanical Engineering Technology – Automotive Manufacturing student (who has since graduated), designed the models and made calculations using a finite element analysis (FEA) program. "Basically I determined the strength of the component – whether it could withstand x amount of snow load and x amount of wind load," Meher continues. "We needed to figure out if the structure was safe – when would it break – compared to standard wind loads in different time zones around the world." Manufacturing research helps companies like RM Products Ltd test new ideas Physical testing of prototypes created by Georgian researchers provide validation for manufacturers looking to build new products. ADVANCED MANUFACTURING From left to right: Greg Twigg, Engineering and Environmental Technologies faculty; Jack Meher, Georgian College alumnus; and Randy Chotowetz, RM Products Ltd. 4 GeorgianCollege.ca/CARI