Canadore College’s Innovation Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Production is helping prepare for the next stages of Canadian participation in deep space exploration. ICAMP has been working with Sudbury-area Deltion Innovations Ltd. and North Bay’s Atlas Copco to produce tool ends for the company’s space mining equipment. Specifically, the Centre was engaged to use its additive manufacturing capability to produce prototype tool ends for Deltion’s space mining multi-purpose tool, labeled PROMPT.
ICAMP’s applied research lead Evan Butler-Jones says they’re over the moon about this opportunity to participate in this small way to Canadas efforts in developing the space mining industry. Butler-Jones, says the complexity of this undertaking made it both challenging and exciting. Atlas and Deltion brought the PROMPT concept and tool designs to ICAMP for manufacturing and production. The Centre utilized its additive manufacturing resources, including its 3D metal printer and computer numerical control equipment, to prototype the commissioned parts.
CEO of Deltion Innovations Dale Boucher says Deltion has been working on space mining technologies for almost two decades. Boucher says the use of additive manufacturing is a means to develop the complex geometries required for the tool ends of PROMPT. He says they’re very pleased with the results of this project and look forward to continuing to collaborate with ICAMP. The finalized products were recently delivered to Deltion Innovations, who will be testing the multi-purpose tool for future deep space applications such as on the moon, Mars and asteroids.
