Meet our Researchers - Sarah Rienguette
Mar 31, 2023 | Research Centre
Researcher Profile: Sarah Rienguette
Sarah Rienguette graduated in 2014 from Laurentian University with a Mechanical Engineering degree specializing in Mechatronics. Also, she completed her co-op placement with CanmetMining in Sudbury, where she tested aggregate daily and participated in a study to examine the use of mine tailings as backfill. Following graduation, she began her career at Canadore College's Innovation Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping (ICAMP).
She is currently a Project Leader at ICAMP, having gone through the roles of technology coordinator, technologist and operations manager at the centre. In this position, she oversees the technical staff at ICAMP and works as part of applied research team on ICAMP- related projects; she is responsible for the technical services operations of the lab and provides technical advice to the Director on matters related to various projects within ICAMP. Sarah keeps experimenting with several additive manufacturing techniques, including Stereolithography (SLA), Polyjet, Fused deposition modelling (FDM), Continuous Fibre Fabrication (CFF), and Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and learning about new equipment developments in the field. She also often uses CNC waterjet cutting, mechanical testing, and metrology-grade 3D scanners for reverse engineering and inspection.
At ICAMP, Sarah has contributed to several applied research projects in a variety of sectors, including mining, manufacturing, and transportation. Her responsibilities on these projects often include project management, idea creation, technology integration, prototype design, and prototype development. Over the past nine years, she has been involved in projects focusing on using advanced manufacturing technologies to address a specific industry problem. These projects have ranged from using 3D scanning to form fit consumer products, creating apps for new product demonstration, metal printing drill bits for space and developing welding robots, to name a few.
She also provides consultative and technical support to the innovation centre's clients and staff regarding using advanced manufacturing technologies and applications within their business. This involves advising on tools and procedures for additive manufacturing and cutting-edge software for mechanical design. She has always had the opportunity to grow and learn while she is here, both from the College's teachers and staff as well as from the close industry partners we have at ICAMP.
According to her, the most rewarding aspect of being involved at Canadore's ICAMP is "being able to get to people, either in industry or other colleagues/students, through new emerging technologies in advanced manufacturing and seeing the resulting innovative ideas that sparks from these conversations." She also enjoys exploring new study areas and sources of innovative ideas. Her favourite projects are those that use a multitude of technologies in advanced manufacturing that she has available to solve a specific industry problem. She is also passionate about additive manufacturing, especially in the metal additive manufacturing industry, and she appreciates that "there are so many new emerging technologies being developed to make this technology more accessible, and the unique design thinking for manufacturing parts out of these technologies is very exciting to be learning about and exploiting."
She would advise her colleagues and students involved in Research to "write down your ideas and brainstorm and outline the main points of them; this will help with organizing your thoughts, and if the team is needed to execute the research, this will help to relay your ideas to them." She also stresses the importance of "always keeping an open mind and finding research work with people or in fields that inspire you." She also demands that you "feed your creativity, stay innovative, and work on research that enthuses you and makes you proud to be a part of."