Case Study: Red Deer Polytechnic achieves next‑generation additive manufacturing and industry commercialization with Proto3000

Red Deer Polytechnic invests in next-generation manufacturing solutions that benefit students and industry

Red Deer Polytechnic’s Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing (CIM‑TAC) needed next‑generation manufacturing equipment to support applied learning and help regional businesses commercialize advanced designs. Regional sales partner Proto3000 helped deliver the Desktop Metal systems the center required—most notably the InnoventX binder‑jet metal printer and the ETEC Xtreme 8K DLP system—to provide flexible metal and polymer 3D printing capabilities.

With Proto3000’s support in acquiring and implementing the InnoventX (installed 2021) and Xtreme 8K (installed 2022), CIM‑TAC expanded binder‑jet material development across metals and ceramics, scaled DLP elastomer production using DuraChain Elastic ToughRubber 90, and enabled commercial‑sized builds for customers. The new capability strengthened applied research and industry engagement—CIM‑TAC now houses over $7.6M in equipment, handled 1,000+ industry inquiries and initiated 73 projects in 2022—while giving students practical experience and helping local companies de‑risk and commercialize products.

Red Deer Polytechnic

Tonya Wolfe

Associate Vice President of Applied Research