The IMS Centre, located in the Centre for Engineering Innovation (CEI), provides advanced research environment conducive to research excellence and innovation for developing new product ideas, innovative manufacturing systems paradigms, processes, and tools. The IMS Center facilities are designed to allow users to experiment with the entire chain of products and systems innovation.
The IMSC laboratories are currently housed in the Centre for Engineering Innovation (CEI).
New Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and Ontario Ministry of Technology and Innovation (MTI) recently funded new research infra-structure as follows:
Design Innovation Studio (iDesign)
A state-of-the-art facility with equipment to foster innovative design and group interactions including interactive multi-touch displays supported by powerful PC-based applications and high end graphics and computing environment for design synthesis, configuration, modeling and analysis that integrates products, processes and manufacturing systems modelling, simulation and development throughout their life cycle. Developed products would be physically realized using rapid prototyping machines.
Changeable and Reconfigurable Manufacturing System (iFactory)
This truly reconfigurable assembly system is the first of its kind in North America and second in the world only after the one installed at the University of Stuttgart in Germany. It is a “factory in a lab” that contains robotic assembly and inspection stations, automated retrieval and storage systems, and material handling systems. It can easily be changed into several configurations and layouts within few hours and its intelligent neighbour-aware control system does not require re-programming or set-up after re-configuration. It is built to the latest standards in automation and control used in industry.
Download a demonstration video for the IMS Center