2016 was a pivotal year for Shimco that began with a successful relocation to a newly constructed 25,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Cambridge, Ontario. The increased capacity and advancements in manufacturing processes, such as lean production methods, paperless production floor, an electronic Kanban system, and new labour-saving equipment has boosted Shimco’s overall productivity and efficiency.
Lisa Gordon of Skies Magazine reached out to Peter Voss, President, CEO and Owner of Shimco to find out what’s in store for the company in 2017. He shared that Shimco’s next exciting venture will benefit the entire Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge technology triangle.
Planned is a 30,000-square-foot expansion from Shimco’s current facility in north Cambridge that will integrate traditional manufacturing processes and a new Centre of Excellence. The latter will be a technology incubator focused on developing and testing the latest advanced manufacturing technologies.
The new Centre and its facilities will be open to academia and research. Peter has already reached out to the University of Waterloo, McMaster University, Ryerson University and the University of Toronto, as well as to companies such as electronics manufacturer Siemens, aerospace, defence and space OEMs, and Tier 1 customer firms and suppliers.
Assisting in the project is Marlene Conway-Diels, Ontario regional director for the Consortium for Aerospace Research and Innovation in Canada (CARIC). She is also a project manager with the Ontario Aerospace Council.
A major initiative of the Centre of Excellence, responding to market need, is embedding technology into products for commercial applications. Because Shimco is already equipped to make shims made of several laminated layers, technology could easily be embedded within those layers to enable connectivity. This has big implications in parts and engine monitoring, for instance, where real-time data can improve safety, extend MRO cycles, and boost airline profitability.
Continue reading here, to hear more from Peter Voss about the Centre of Excellence, courtesy of Skies Magazine.