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LU Uses Cutting Edge Technology in the Fight Against COVID-19

LU Uses Cutting Edge Technology in the Fight Against COVID-19

Laurentian, partner institutions use 3D printers to create crucial protective equipment

The Laurentian University community continues to step up and do its part in the effort to fight the spread of coronavirus. Our latest project is geared towards helping healthcare workers on the frontlines against the pandemic. 

Through the use of 3D printers in the Maker Space of the Cliff Fielding Research, Innovation and Engineering Building, we have been able to create headbands for face shields. These headbands, an open-source design created by Swedish firm 3D Verkstan, are simple, versatile, and easy to produce. Materials like clear plastic are affixed to the headbands, which healthcare workers then wear as face shields in order to protect them from hazardous materials, including the virus.

This project started with a simple desire to help. Gisele Roberts, Laurentian’s Manager of Innovation and Commercialization, recently put in a call to Health Sciences North to see what aid Laurentian could provide. Giving a full accounting of all the tools we have at our disposal, it was decided that we would start manufacturing headbands. 

In addition to Laurentian’s dedicated team of researchers and innovators, we are cooperating with colleagues at partner institutions to bring this project to life. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine recommended the design, while Cambrian College, Collège Boreal, Science North, Lively District and Lo-Ellen Park Secondary Schools, and industry partners Ionic Mechatronics have been drafted in to produce material. The first 300 headbands have already been delivered to HSN; hundreds more are on the way.

Laurentian University opens new Research, Innovation and Engineering Centre

Laurentian University opens new Research, Innovation and Engineering Centre

Laurentian celebrates the grand opening of its $30M Cliff Fielding Research, Innovation and Engineering Building

It is a historic day today at Laurentian University as Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre joined community members and local partners as well as Laurentian University staff, faculty and students for the opening of the new Cliff Fielding Research, Innovation and Engineering Building.

The new 60,000-square-foot facility located in Founders’ Square (between the Parker and Fraser buildings) on the Sudbury campus, houses all engineering labs, including mining, chemical and mechanical, with space to eventually add a full civil engineering program. “There was a critical need for the new building,” said Dr. Rizwan Haq, Interim Vice-President, Research. “Our engineering program has grown to 700 students in 10 years with no new space.” 

The building is also home to a collaborative research hub for Laurentian research centres, an innovation and commercialization space, a state of the art analytical facility for industry and scholars alike. Each of these spaces have been identified in consultation with local industry in order to maximize interdisciplinary opportunities.

“This is a remarkable building and it’s a testament to our commitment to student success and the needs of our community,” said Laurentian Board of Governors Chair Jennifer Witty.  “It’s more than a building.  It represents Laurentian University’s commitment to leadership in research and innovation.”

The $30M project announced almost exactly two years ago on September 23, 2016, was designed by Sudbury-based Yallowega Bélanger Salach Architecture and built by M. Sullivan and Sons. The federal and provincial governments invested $27.4M into the project while private donors provided additional funding. A $3 million investment by Mrs. Lily Fielding and her family was recognized by the naming of the building. A $1 million investment by the Perdue family was recognized by the naming of the University’s new research and development centre housed within the facility.

“A number of individuals and key partners have been integral in realizing this critical expansion of research and innovation space,” said Dr. Pierre Zundel, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University. “The Cliff Fielding Research, Innovation, and Engineering Building will not only benefit Laurentian students; it will have an immense impact on further driving economic activity and innovation in the City of Greater Sudbury, Northeastern Ontario and beyond.”