McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI)

McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
What the facility does

Personnel, knowledge and industry scale equipment resources to support machining production troubleshooting, tooling and process development, and process optimization

Areas of expertise

Nearly every industry is experiencing technological disruption. In manufacturing, developing new tooling and processes to meet shifting demands allows our partners to stay ahead of the disruption curve, and we're proud to help them do it. Since 1999, we've been a strategic partner to industry, applying our world-class expertise and cutting-edge facilities to solving manufacturers’ challenges — honing processes to maximize productivity and quality while reducing cost and facilitating product innovation.

With a core focus on service to industry, our group has worked to tailor our personnel, knowledge and industry scale equipment resources to deliver real value and practical, implementable solutions to our industrial partners. Please do not hesitate to contact us about any challenges or opportunities related to your machining production to see how we can build our resources around your needs.

Research services

Machining Process Development, optimization and troubleshooting; machining simulation; tool wear testing; machining parameter selection and testing; Industry 4.0; preventative maintenance; metal cutting tooling selection, development and testing; Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) coating selection and development; material property assessment, material characterization; surface characterization; wear analysis; root cause analysis for enhanced process stability and robustness; vibration analysis; design for manufacturability; technology demonstration; ultraprecision machining.

Sectors of application
  • Aerospace and satellites
  • Automotive
  • Chemical industries
  • Defence and security industries
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Forestry and forest-based industries
  • Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
  • Manufacturing and processing
  • Mining, minerals and metals
  • Professional and technical services (including legal services, architecture, engineering)
Specialized lab  EquipmentFunction
Machining Systems LabComputer Numerical Control (CNC) machines (10)Wide range of capabilities: 60k rpm spindle and 5-axis for duplicating industrial processes for testing and development
 Machining Dynamometers (on all machines)Measuring cutting force and torque to assess tool and process performance in milling and turning
 Alicona Infinitefocus G53D measurement system with nanometer resolution measurement of small features and surface roughness
 Keyence VHX-5000For rapid assessment of tool wear and inspection of small components/features
 Ultra-High Speed Camera (Phenom Fastcam SA-Z)Observe cutter and workpiece interactions and other high-speed processes at up to 2 million frames per second
 Kobelco AIP-S20 PVD CoaterArc and magnetron Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) coater for protective coating development and applications
 Zeiss Prismo VAST Coordinate Measurement Machine (CMM)3D scanning of parts
Material Property Assessment LaboratoryMicro-Mechanical Testing Equipment (indentation, scratch, impact, high temperature testing)Nano/Micro scale testing of a wide range of materials including films and thin coatings.
 Scratch and Adhesion TesterCharacterize film-substrate systems and quantify parameters such as adhesive strength and friction force
 Atomic Force Microscope3D information on surface topographies and morphologies at the nanoscale
 Pin on Disk TribometerSimulating a wide range of in-service conditions including different movement and contact, speed, and lubrication
 Heavy Load High Temperature TribometerOn axis adhesiometer designed to duplicate many manufacturing conditions
CAPPA-D - Centre for Advanced Polymer Processing and Design2 Twin Screw Extruders (Leistritz) with liquid injection, side feeding and palletizationDevelopment, granulation, high shear mixing and scale-up of polymers, foods, pharmaceuticals and natural materials
 2” Davis-Standard Single Screw ExtruderMaterial blending, various screw designs for high and low shear mixing, material homogenization and process scale-up
 Haake Batch MixerSmall volume (200g) melt mixing. Ideal for formulation development and material testing
 TA Discovery Hybrid 2 RheometerPolymer melts, UV cured gels, gels, liquids. curing of UV cured materials & below zero viscosity - liquids or gels
 Rosand Capillary RheometerHigh shear viscosity, and extrusion die pressure measurements
 TA Q200 Differential Scanning Calorimeter with R90 chiller (-90˚C)Measure heat flow and capacity, glass transition, melting and crystallization temperature with modulation  to – 90 ˚C
 

Thermo Fisher Scientific Nicolet 6700

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIS)

Chemical composition analysis of films, sheets and powders
 Instron 6300 Universal Mechanical Testing instrument with Environment ChamberTensile, compression, flexural, and puncture testing in a heated or cooled environment