Press Room >> 2009 Press Releases FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GOVERNOR, BARBASH ANNOUNCE $2.1 MILLION IN Columbus – Governor Ted Strickland and Mark Barbash, Interim Director of the Ohio Department of Development and Chair of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission, today announced that the Commission recommended nearly $2.1 million in grants through the Ohio Research Commercialization Grant Program (ORCGP) to six Ohio companies to support commercialization of new and innovative technologies. The awards are contingent upon State Controlling Board approval. 2009 Ohio Research Commercialization Grant Program Western Robotics, located in Kirtland (Lake County), will receive $350,000 for its Intelligent Robotic Machining project. Western Robotics has developed a robotic control technology and system that operates in a force and compliance manner, mimicking human touch and feel, allowing the robotic system to be used for surface finishing and polishing applications that are now predominantly done manually. A prototype system has been constructed and demonstrated in a laboratory setting for finishing jet engine turbine blades. An Ohio-based turbine blade manufacturer, PCC Airfoils, is assisting Western in the product development, committing to test and evaluate the technology at its facility. If the system performs as required and the blades satisfy the finish specifications, PCC Airfoils will purchase the Beta prototype system and set up a turbine blades pilot line. ### Media contacts: Robert Grevey at (614) 466-6619 or
April 28, 2009
OHIO THIRD FRONTIER RESEARCH COMMMERCIALIZATION GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING
6 companies awarded research commercialization funds
“Our state’s strategic focus of Ohio Third Frontier resources leverages further investment for our growing class of entrepreneurs,” Barbash said. “These innovative businesses can achieve serious and sustained growth in the right business climate – Ohio is committed to supporting innovators who demonstrate a compelling potential for expansion.”
The awards are as follows:
Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems, LLC, located in Willoughby (Lake County), will receive $350,000 for its Wind Turbine Blade De-icing System Commercialization project. Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems developed its de-icing system for aircraft under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II. The product consists of a thermal-electric anti-ice, de-ice system based on a heating element of flexible graphite bonded to a heat-conducting polyurethane. In 2006, Kelly Aerospace further developed the technology and began exploring its application to wind turbines that operate in cold climates. Icing is a major operational problem as it affects turbine structural loads, rotor performance, rotational stability, and instrumentation reliability. Use of a de-icing system can significantly increase the power output of the wind turbine, resulting in as much as a 10–15 percent power increase. In 2007 and 2008, extensive field tests were conducted on a 1MW wind turbine in Sweden, and the technology performed as planned in 7,700 hours of operation. A prototype system was installed on a 2 MW Vestas 90 wind turbine in 2008. Market entry into the wind turbine market is projected to occur within three years.
Nanotek Instruments, Inc., located in Dayton (Montgomery County), will receive $349,998 for its Commercialization of Nano Graphene Composite Electrodes for Lithium Ion Batteries project. Nanotek has developed a new class of anode materials for rechargeable batteries consisting of a composite of silicon particles with nano-graphene platelets (NGPs) and carbon. This composite material has a specific capacity of greater-than 2,000 mAh/g (milliamp hours per gram), which is 6–8 times greater than the actual capacity of graphite, and it has demonstrated that it can maintain its structural integrity and performance in more than 300 charge-discharge cycles. This composite anode material can be used in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and other energy storage applications. Nanotek is collaborating with K2Energy to integrate a lithium iron phosphate cathode material with its anode material to make a full battery for testing by a battery developer (A123) and battery end-users (HST and GM).
ACME Express, Inc., located in Cleveland (Cuyahoga County), will receive $349,900 for its project Developing Ohio’s Healthcare Information Technology Industry and Reducing Ohio Healthcare Costs by $35 million per year. ACME Express developed and currently offers a software tool (DOCS Scheduler) that optimizes medical staff scheduling using an Internet-based model that allows access from any computer location. The software consists of three modules that track the on-call and vacation schedules of medical staff across separate departments and schedule appointments efficiently. About 100 healthcare customers currently use the software mainly for doctors and nurses in anesthesia, radiology, cardiology and emergency departments. To serve additional departments and specialties, expanded user interfaces, upgrades to the system platform and hardware are required. Specifically, interfaces to a market-leading patient scheduling product, a timekeeping product and Microsoft Business Systems software are needed. In addition, a hosting data center with scalable capacity, security, and fail-safe reliability is proposed.
Performance Polymer Solutions, Inc., located in Moraine (Montgomery County), will receive $350,000 for its High Temperature Structural Adhesives project. Performance Polymer Solutions has developed a new class of high-temperature structural adhesives that can withstand the harsh service environments of high-temperature composite structures. These adhesives have low volatiles and are suitable for wide area bonding of components with good performance and durability. The test data relative to legacy adhesives is impressive, and Vought Aircraft Industries, a future customer, has provided a strong testimonial. Other potential end-users for this technology include Pratt & Whitney, GE Aircraft Engines, Lockheed-Martin, and Northrop Grumman. These polyimide adhesives are needed for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. They are also likely to be important in missiles, space systems, electronics, off-shore drilling, and optical devices.
Brighton Technologies Group, Inc., located in Cincinnati (Hamilton County), will receive $350,000 for its Quality of Assurance Tool project, which seeks to enable market expansion, cost reduction, and increased fuel economy across many industries. The Surface Energy Probe (SEP) is a quality assurance tool for industrial adhesive bonding and coating operations that will reduce costs, failure rates, and rework and enable the expanded use of adhesives in airframe and auto frame manufacture and in packaging film operations. The SEP is an accurate, easy-to-use hand-held device that assesses a surface's readiness for bonding, coating, or printing. It can be used on composites, polymers, metals, and ceramics. Brighton plans to use suppliers to manufacture components for the SEP but will be responsible for assembling and testing the units.
Ohio Third Frontier is committed to expanding Ohio’s technological strengths and promoting commercialization that leads to economic prosperity throughout Ohio. Designed to build world-class research programs, nurture early stage companies, and foster technology development that make existing industries more productive, Ohio Third Frontier creates opportunity through innovation.
The Ohio Research Commercialization Grant Program was created to improve the commercial viability of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) and Advanced Technology Program (ATP) research and development projects. The intent is to improve the ability of small technology companies to assess and realize the commercial potential of research projects and to promote the competitiveness of these companies through the augmentation of federal research and development funding.
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