Niagara College helps car collector finish restoration with 3-D printing

Classic car collector Phil Foster spent years searching for a matching window trim for his 1934 Dodge DR.

And although he and his wife Gwen have access to a network of other vintage car enthusiasts as founding members of the Antique & Classic Car Club of Canada, Niagara Chapter, they still could not find the rare part.

“These garnish mouldings just aren’t around anymore,” explained Foster.

Recently a friend suggested he enlist the help of applied research students at the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre at Niagara College. As luck would have it, the Research & Innovation division was in the process of installing a new Fortus 900mc Gen. 2 3-D printer from Stratasys at its Welland campus.

The research team reverse-engineered Foster’s existing window garnish moulding, designed a 3-D CAD mirror copy, and then printed the new component. Foster described the venture as a win-win and, while happy with his custom part, he is also proud that his project has provided real-world applied research experience for the students.

The Innovation Centre currently is the country’s only material beta testing facility for Stratasys.

This enables the college’s industry partners and customers exclusive access to materials not currently on the market and also offers the opportunity to drive the development of potential new materials, said Jim Lambert, manager of the Innovation Centre.

With funding support from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the college’s advanced manufacturing division acquired the new printer to improve its capabilities and, in turn, provide more opportunities for key industry for prototypes, production parts, jigs and fixtures, and factory tooling.

The college’s team specializes in engineering design, 3-D technologies, lean manufacturing processes, and additive manufacturing. Depending on the materials and the complexity of the project, having a prototype 3-D printed at the Technology Access Centre could cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

The college’s team specializes in engineering design, 3-D technologies, lean manufacturing processes, and additive manufacturing.