Northern College makes 3D printing more accessible with expanded state-of-the-art laboratory

Northern College officials called it a "dream factory" for the north, as they unveiled the expansion of the school’s 3D printing lab to include every machine industries in the region need to develop new products.

If a company or a college student has an idea for a new product, they can design, print, prototype and pilot it using more than a dozen top-of-the-line machines in the 3D Futures Lab at Northern College in Timmins. June 12/23 (Sergio Arangio/CTV Northern Ontario)

If a company or a college student has an idea for a new product, they can design, print, prototype and pilot it using more than a dozen top-of-the-line machines in the 3D Futures Lab.

"There was definitely an industry need for a larger facility," said college president Audrey Penner.

"If you look around the room, you'll see there's a variety of printers, so there's also a need for printing with various materials."

Around $400,000 in federal funding allowed the college to expand its original printing lab which was considered a hidden gem in the region.

Housing a 3D scanner, computer modelling and around a dozen printing machines, the team of staff and students running the facility told CTV News it is capable of developing any simple or complex product with many in-demand materials.

"We can print plastics, thermal plastics, copper, stainless steel,” said Zain Bin Anser, a supply chain management student who took a summer job marketing the new lab to the region.

"We can even print bio-med materials, like a skull or a cranium, anything like that."

Bin Anser said he’ll be helping the college reach out to industries across the region to let them know about the lab and how it can assist them, gauge their needs and adapt the lab accordingly.

The lab lets a company rapidly bring a product from design to production in collaboration with the college.

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Sudbury-based product designer Stephen Podrucky said he finds it ground-breaking for the region as 3D printing is otherwise limited. Podrucky developed an augmented-reality fire extinguisher training system.

What’s not available locally needs to be outsourced south, he said, which can be expensive and time-consuming.

The expanded capability at the Timmins lab changes all of that, Podrucky said.

"There's nothing like this in northern Ontario,” he said.

"It's very rare to see this many different types of 3D printers and 3D printing technology in one space. You can kind of come here as a one-stop shop and get all the different types done."

With applications in mechanical and electrical engineering, health sciences and more, those running this lab are excited about the possibilities in various northern industries.

Mechanical engineering technology student Christian Smith said the lab lends itself to engineering fields that need to constantly test and tweak products.

Smith said he’s so excited about the possibilities this level of local 3D printing can bring to the region that he’s considering specializing in the technology after graduation.

"You can go design these models yourself and then send off to print and come back the next day and the thing's made,” he said.

"Just seeing your creations come to life, it's an amazing experience."