This article by Phil Evans, from the Department of Wood Science at UBC, explains the development of a new suite of courses aimed at the wood finishing industry. It originally appeared in Wood Focus, Issue 3, in 2011.
Designing with Wood Program – Technical Mentoring for Designers
CAWP offers a technical mentoring service for industrial designers and other creative people who want to know more about the specifics of working in the wood products industry. We hope to answer some of the typical technical and business questions that designers have when starting to work with wood for the first time, and to assist with prototyping. For more information see our page on CAWP Services for Industrial Designers or contact us at cawp@cawp.ubc.ca or view our PDF brochure.
The Wood Innovation Group (TWIG) promotes New Opportunities & Partnerships
Twig (est. 2012 as Outside the Box Meetup Group) is a network and community supported by the Wood First Program through Forestry Innovation Investment (FII). Additionally Twig is made possible through contributions from companies and individuals working to advance the use of wood in the Pacific Northwest.
We hosted over 50 meetups with 35 special guests presenting on a a range of wood-based topics. Our events took place over 10 venues across the city. This led to the formation, ideation and realization of numerous products, partnerships, services and businesses that are in operation today – Including Twig, which re-branded in December 2020.
To find out more or join the group go to https://twigbc.ca
Management Skills Training for the Wood Products Industry
CAWP offers a set of affordable online management skills training courses on: Quality Management & Control; Sales & Marketing; Business Finance & Investment Evaluation; Production Planning; Human Resources & Safety; New Product Development; Factory Layout & Equipment Justification; and Supply Chain Management.
Each e-learning module requires between 30 and 40 hours of part-time study over six weeks, and has been designed specifically for the wood products industry. Participants can take modules one by one at their own pace – for more details view the Management Program web pages, contact cawp@cawp.ubc.ca or download the PDF.
Product Development Services for Manufacturers
CAWP helps wood products manufacturers of all types and sizes to develop new products. We have a large team of technical specialists and an advanced 10,000 square-foot manufacturing lab that features the latest technologies, including three and five-axis CNC routers, a CNC beam processor, and UV-curing flat line finishing equipment.
Our team can help manufacturers identify market opportunities, brainstorm and refine design concepts, model new products using advanced computer-aided-design programs, create and test prototypes, track production costs and recommend manufacturing solutions. Companies with manufacturing operations in British Columbia can obtain support for projects through the Wood First Program.
View our Product Development page for more information.