| Conematic Heating Systems 
SAIT Lead: Manufacturing and Automation, Construction Collaborators: Conematic Heating Systems Start/End: January 2001/Spring 2002 Background: In July 2000, Calgary Entrepreneur, Doug Smith, approached SAIT after a visit to Beijing. He had the design rights to a unique product - a compact and energy-efficient hot water boiler for heating systems - but required resources for precommercialization, prototype development work. SAIT’s Manufacturing and Automation and Construction Departments together worked with Conematic to build more than 20 prototypes and standardized components, and laid out a manufacturing plant. Today, Conematic is a burgeoning company employing SAIT graduates and an instructor who worked on the various applied research projects. The project assembled a team of SAIT/Conematic staff and faculty, and involved six Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) and 2 Industrial Engineering Technology (IET) students who evaluated existing production and methodology technologies and developments. Also developed was a web site team with SAIT students. GIS work was conducted for marketing, and a fully functional Smart House lab and testing facility was created with the assistance of SAIT staff/faculty and Conematic team. Objective: To design and build working prototypes of a compact and energy-efficient hot water boiler for heating systems and a fully functional Smart House lab and testing facility. Outcomes: - 21 prototypes constructed
- Fully functional Smart House lab and testing facility
- 2nd year MET project – studied thermodynamic design and manufacturability
- 2nd year IET project – manufacturing plant layout and assembly operation
- Standardization of parts
- Patented pre-engineered, packaged and fully integrated heating system for domestic hot water production and space heating
- The first certified institutional-based testing facility to certify small gas appliances worldwide with ITS Semko
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