Our Services

We’re a one-stop-shop and offer a variety of services that will help you take your concept for a project from the initial idea through to prototyping.
Below are the services we offer.

Design & Analysis

Our design team develops composite part designs, partnering with clients through each step of the process – from conceptual models, through prototyping parts, to production ready components. Our designs are developed by minimizing weight and cost while increasing performance and are always created with the manufacturing process in mind.

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Our Design Services Include:

  • Computer Aided Design (CAD) modeling and drafting of composite, plastic and metallic parts
  • Material and process selection using our material property database
  • Laminate schedule development and optimization for weight, cost and performance
  • Finite Element Analysis (FEA) – used to perform mechanical/structural, modal, and thermal analysis of composite structures
  • Ply draping simulation – produces a flat pattern for production
  • Tooling design for hand, RTM, RTM lite and infusion manufacturing processes
  • Joining and bonding
  • Failure analysis and repair
  • Cost/feasibility analysis
  • For inquiries of how our design services, tools and processes can work for you and your organization, please contact:
    Eugene Rothwell
    eugene@ecopoxy.com

Testing

Whether a client is looking for an initial composite material evaluation or for a full testing protocol to verify that a material or product meets performance requirements, we can help. Our testing team is dedicated to providing quality services for clients, quick turn-around times and testing performed to industry standards (ASTM, ISO, etc.) with a strong focus on thermal and physical materials property testing.

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Our testing capabilities are complemented by those of other regional facilities – if we do not have the testing capability a client requires, we can help the client find a laboratory that does.

As a complement to our testing services, we offer custom specimen preparation in accordance to applicable standards. We have access to a full suite of preparation equipment including a 3-axis machining centre, diamond wafering saw, rotary notcher and precision grinding and polishing equipment.

Our Testing Standards

Mechanical Testing

We have partnered with the Industrial Technology Centre, a fully certified test facility, to provide a full range of mechanical testing services. This partnership ensures clients’ composite test needs are met with the shortest possible turn-around times and full access to experienced specimen preparation and mechanical testing capabilities.

Our Mechanical Testing Services include:

  • Tensile
  • Flexure
  • Compression
  • Shear
  • Izod Impact
  • Fatigue (various load cases)
  • Environmental conditioning coupled with mechanical testing

Thermal Analysis Testing

Thermal analysis is the study of material properties as they change with temperature. For traditional glass and carbon composites, resin systems are the primary focus of thermal analysis as fibre reinforcement is relatively inert at lower temperatures. Determining resin matrix thermal performance, cure completeness and temperature dependent physical properties are key to consistently producing high-quality parts.

Our Thermal Analysis Testing Services include:

  • Glass Transition Temperature
  • Degree of Cure
  • Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
  • Specific Heat Capacity

Physical Properties Testing

Composite fabrication success demands knowledge of key physical properties and we provide complete testing services to ensure parts will perform as they are intended to. Physical property tests can help clients make the right choice when selecting new processes and improving existing ones.

 

  • Constituent Content (Resin/Fibre Fraction)
  • Density Determination
  • Water Absorption
  • Viscosity Determination
  • Gel Time/Peak Exotherm
  • Shrinkage from Cure
  • Visual Analysis Microscopy
  • For inquiries of how our design services, tools and processes can work for you and your organization, please contact:
    Eugene Rothwell
    eugene@ecopoxy.com

Prototyping

Our prototyping team provides fabrication services for all composite related parts. We specialize in custom shaping by machine or hand and can use many composite materials and processes. We have fabricated prototypes as small as hand held articles and as large as car hoods and vehicle-sized assemblies.



Our Projects

Our current prototyping capabilities include:




Plugs and Patterns:

  • Design for prototyping
  • Material sourcing and procurement
  • CAM programming and machining
  • Surface shaping and finishing

Tools:

  • Fabrication of industry standard FRP tools for open and closed moulding
  • Fabrication of direct-to-mould tooling for prototypes and one-offs
  • Selection of materials for process/construction method

Prototype Parts:

  • Material and/or product demonstrators
  • Test panels to obtain material properties
  • First articles/prototypes using traditional and novel fabrication methods

Processes

Mould and Tool Fabrication:

  • 5-axis machining
  • 3-axis machining
  • Hand carving
  • Custom wood fabrication

Part Fabrication:

  • Additive manufacturing with FDM
  • Hand layup
  • Disposable-bag resin infusion
  • RTM light infusion
  • Oven-cured prepreg layup
Composites Innovation Centre Prototyping Process
Composites Innovation Centre Prototyping Materials

Materials

Mould and Tool Fabrication:

  • Wood and laminate products (HDF, MDF, Melamine, Plywood)
  • Tooling foam boards (Polystyrene, Polyurethane, Epoxy)
  • Seamless modelling paste (Polyester)
  • Machinable thermoplastics
  • Printed thermoplastics (FDM ABS)

Part Fabrication:

  • Glass fibre mat and fabric
  • Carbon fibre mat and fabric
  • Infusion hybrid mats
  • Thermoset resins (Polyester, Vinylester, Vinylester blends, Epoxy, Bioresins)
  • Adhesives
  • Oven-cured thermoset prepregs
  • Natural fibre mat and fabric
  • For inquiries of how our design services, tools and processes can work for you and your organization, please contact:
    Eugene Rothwell
    eugene@ecopoxy.com

Business

Our business development team works with clients from the concept phase of a project right through to production phase providing logistical and business support throughout.

Project Management

We use an in-house, practiced project management system that allows projects to stay within scope, on task, on time and on budget while producing quality deliverables. As part of this service, we help clients source funding through our extensive knowledge of funding sources to support composite technology and product research and development activities.

Our project management system includes:

  • Phased Project Approach
  • Project Pipeline
  • Gantt Chart
  • Budgets and Funding Models
  • Project Dashboards for effective project performance monitoring
Business Planning

A core component to driving economic growth and encouraging startup companies in the composites industry is assessing and supporting business case and planning documentation to ultimately reduce the risk for entrepreneurs and expanding organizations. We work with clients to assist them in their business planning activities, ensuring the success of each project.

Our business planning services include:

  • Economic Assessments
  • Cost, Volume, Profit Analysis
  • Sensitivity Analysis
  • Technical Feasibility Assessments
  • Business Plan Framework
  • Review/Advise on Existing Business Plans Focusing on Technical Components
Our Network

We have a vast network of connections from years of collaboration and partnering in a wide range of disciplines within the composites industry including composite manufacturers, designers, test laboratories and material suppliers. We also have an established network of connections to numerous government agencies, funding bodies, research firms and academic institutions.

This network ensures that appropriate resources are utilized and project partnering is accessible to each of our clients.

Technical Session Coordination

We coordinate and host technical workshops known as Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to support education and technology transfer throughout the composites industry. These informative sessions focus on awareness and education of technical issues common within the composites industry and are relevant to all members of the composite industry from designers to suppliers to academics.

We also develop and provide specialized training sessions, with both academic comprehension and hands-on exposure that are tailored to a client’s needs.

  • For inquiries of how our design services, tools and processes can work for you and your organization, please contact:
    Eugene Rothwell
    eugene@ecopoxy.com