Saguenay - Aluminium Technologies

Canada is one of the world's top two exporters of primary aluminium. NRC's bold strategy to transform a significant portion of those exports into value-added offerings has created a vibrant technology cluster around the "Aluminium Valley" in Quebec's Saguenay region.

NRC Aluminium Technology Centre research facility located in Saguenay.

Investing in the community

In the late 1990s, NRC targeted Saguenay as Canada's most promising investment site for pioneering aluminium transformation R&D. The reason: more than 90 percent of Canada's aluminium production is situated within a 500 square kilometre area in Saguenay. In 2002,NRC constructed its state-of-the-art research facility — the NRC Aluminium Technology Centre — to serve as a hub for the region's most enterprising researchers. The Centre provides cluster stakeholders with wide-ranging support to explore the most profitable ways to transform aluminium into durable, lightweight components for a host of industries.

		NRC's partners in Saguenay include:
		Alcan Inc.
		the Quebec Centre for Aluminium R&D
		the Trans-Al network,an association of aluminium parts manufacturers
		the Société de la vallée de l'aluminium, a business development organization funded by the Quebec government
		the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi along with REGAL, a provincial university aluminium research network headquartered at Université du Québec.

Developed at the NRC-ATC, a laser cladding process, used to protect parts against wear, is set up for industrial use at a local business in the Saguenay region.

Building critical partnerships

NRC has nurtured several key partnerships with local aluminium transformation stakeholders in Saguenay. These partnerships play a critical role in NRC's efforts to stimulate groundbreaking research, disseminate world-leading knowledge and commercialize promising technologies.

Targeting success

To ensure the region's cluster remains focused on the most achievable and potentially lucrative goals,NRC's strategic plan targets two broad categories of development: advanced forming, and joining (assembling) technologies.

In the first category, NRC guides researchers and emerging companies through training in die-casting, hydroforming and other processes that form solid aluminium into lightweight, usable parts.The second category involves R&D of laser and friction-stir welding,adhesive bonding, and the mechanical assembly of aluminium parts.

NRC provides advanced computer modeling and state-of-the-art instrumentation for visiting researchers, helping to build a critical mass of knowledge and research that the fledgling cluster can use to commercialize its pioneering ideas.

Attracting top-flight talent

Located on the grounds of the Université du Québec at Chicoutimi, the $57 million NRC Aluminium Technology Centre attracts top talent by providing pioneering companies with technical support, expertise and lab facilities to develop value-added aluminium products and processes. The Centre's 60 NRC staff, 20 guest researchers, and 20 young scientists receive advanced training to bring new technologies to market.

		CLUSTER FACTS AT A GLANCE
		Canada is the world's second-largest exporter of primary aluminium
		Quebec produces 90% of Canadian aluminium exports
		Amount of aluminium used in cars is increasing by 5% annually

Transforming technology into business

NRC offers strategic services to businesses that want to take their innovations to market — easing the transition from small start-up company to bona fide industrial presence.

Assisting with industrial research

The NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program — aimed specifically at helping small- and medium-sized businesses develop technologies for market — contributes funding and expertise to all NRC clusters, including Saguenay's.

Advanced modeling technologies developed at NRC-ATC are tools used by scientist and industry engineers to develop new and existing processes in a virtual environment.

The program has helped link several Saguenay clients to expertise at the NRC Aluminium Technology Centre in such areas as purification of aluminium, metallurgy, and parts for high-performance bicycles, another key market for aluminium technology. It has embarked on collaborative projects with firms investigating such things as the latest aluminium-related laser technology and groundbreaking work in aluminium tubing.Moreover, the program is extensively involved with Quebec's Trans-Al network, a group of more than 100 pioneering small- and medium-sized enterprises.

		NRC'S CLUSTER PARTNERS
		Alcan Inc.
		Canada Economic Development
		General Motors Canada
		Quebec Centre for Aluminium R&D
		REGAL — regroupement université/organismes en R&D-aluminium
		SVA (Société de la vallée de l'aluminium)
		Trans-Al Network
		Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
		University of Waterloo

Best available science and technology literature

NRC is a world leader in electronic publishing, and Canada's largest and best resource for scientific, technical & medical information.NRC's information specialists are highly active in Saguenay's aluminium technology cluster, conducting several hundred information searches a year and putting key publications in the hands of the region's leading innovators. They offer technical and business users leading-edge information and business-related services, including access to hundreds of relevant databases and thousands of scientific and technical journals.

A NRC specialist examines crushed sections of hydroformed aluminium tubes prepared for metallographic analysis.

Fostering collaboration

While the NRC Aluminium Technology Centre has been up and running for less than two years, it has already signed collaborative R&D partnerships with several local small- and medium-sized enterprises, and with industry giants such as Alcan and General Motors. The Alcan collaboration, worth $10.5 million over five years, focuses on breakthrough processes to manufacture lightweight aluminium parts for the enormous global automotive market.

NRC has also negotiated several collaborative agreements with Canadian universities to conduct groundbreaking aluminium transformation R&D. It has inked contracts with the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto — with General Motors Canada as the industrial partner — and with the Université Laval.

		MILESTONES FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
		2000 — NRC develops Aluminium Industry Technology Roadmap
		2001 — NRC commits to NRC-ATC (Aluminium Technology Centre) for Saguenay region
		2002 — NRC unveils design plans for NRC-ATC
		2003 — NRC-ATC opens doors
		2004 — Official inauguration of NRC-ATC

NRC-ATC is at the cutting edge for the R&D in the behaviour of aluminium as it is being shaped, formed and joined.

"This NRC Centre is a prime example of what can be accomplished when the region pulls together to work toward a common goal. It ensures the region of the kind of environment that is conducive to aluminium transformation."

Michel Belley, Rector,UQAC

http://www.imi.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/