Here’s a summary of the communications between our team and Neoden, as well as the back-and-forth between Boreas (Canadian company that’s going through the certification process for a Neoden 4 machine too) and Neoden.
Sponsorship - Offer Details
Hi Kristen,
Good news, I have come to an arrangement with our parent company and the powers that be to fund the sponsorship! I’ll briefly outline your two options below and then I’ll put together a formal quotation depending on what you would like to go for:
Option A – Neoden 3V
We sponsor $2000 towards your purchase making the price $5999 + shipping (down from $7999).
Option C – Neoden 4
We sponsor $6000 towards your purchase making the price $5999 + shipping (down from $11999).
Having just typed and laid that out it seems like a no brainer for you to go for Option C! Shipping costs will be slightly higher than Option A but the Neoden 4 will be more beneficial for the lab in the long run. Obviously you may want to purchase additional feeders as well, which we can talk about.
I’d also like to jump on a call with you to talk through specifics of the sponsorship package, we’d like to change a few things, focusing more on social media content/exposure and case studies.
The next available ND3V or ND4 will be available to ship early August. I may have one available earlier if required.
Boreas + Neoden
Neoden cced us on their email communications with Boreas and asked if they could share some information with us!
First Email | General Overview of Certification Process
Hi Joseph,
They probably have the same restriction as us, since we are under the Sherbrooke University umbrella.
Attached is a list of certifier that is recognised by CSA as an equivalent of there certification.
The best way is to call a certification lab, there is probably a couple around Toronto and Waterloo, to come on site and certify the equipment.
It’s a couple of hundred buck to do so. After the initial inspection, they give you a report and you have to correct any problems they found before giving you the certification. Most of the time it’s related to switch, connector, wiring and assembly body panel (to protect any internal electrical connection).
We did some work with QPS (www.qps.ca), they have an office in Toronto, they are really professional.
I will be willing to share the initial report we will do on our P&P machine, once we have it, with you.
Hoping it’s helping you!
Don’t hesitate to contact me again if you have any more questions.
We don’t need to worry about having someone to come in and do the certification - the University will arrange for it 
Second Email | General Overview of Certification Process
Hi Joseph,
Do you have any electrical plan of the S1 machine on hand? The CSA certifier is here this morning and he would like to know if we have plan for the machine.
Please get back to me asap. Thanks.
RE:
Morning Frédéric,
We unfortunately do not have a wiring schematic, I’ve reached out to the factory to provide one. However, I haven’t heard back from them yet this morning which means we won’t hear back until tomorrow.
I apologize and will try to provide this as soon as we can. Let us know how we can support the inspection otherwise.
Third Email | Component Changes for Certification
Hi Joseph,
To complete the CSA certification, we need to change some components inside the equipment. Most of the part we need to change are small switches and connectors but two components are more critical.
110V DC Power supply
The AC/DC 110V power supply is not certify. We need to find an equivalent CSA, UL or UR certify. Attached is the power supply model already in the equipment.
Vacuum pump
The small vacuum pump have a 220V AC rating written on the sticker on the pump. Since the system is 110V, the pump must also be 110V rated. See image of the pump.
Could you help us, with the factory, to find replacement parts for those two components?
I will send you the complete report as soon as I receive it.
RE: (From Boreas)
Hi Kristen,
We did not receive the wiring schematic for the machine, the certifier was able to do the certification without it.
We change the 110V power supply and some really basic switch and connection, nothing really major.
We were not able to find a direct replacement for the power supply, since the new one was a little larger on one side, we fabricate a bracket to move a rail and be able to fit it in the same place.
Vacuum pump was the same (110V and 220V), so the supplier send us a new sticker to put on it.
That’s mostly it.
Good luck and regards.
Fourth Email | PSU Model for CSA approval
Hello Frédéric,
Thank you so much for the information again!
We have started searching for an alternative power supply and have come across some difficulties finding some in Canada that may meet the certification requirements.
May we ask which power supply your team has purchased? And if you know of others that you may have come across, that you would recommend?
No worries if not and thank you again for your help! We really appreciate it!
Thank you very much and have a great evening,
RE: (From Boreas)
Hi Kristen,
Attached is the 110V DC power supply we bought to replace the non-CSA one in the pick and place machine.
We modified the rail attachment to fit the power supply, but there was some space to do so.
Hoping it help you.
Regards.
110VDC CSA PSU datasheet:
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SSDC
First Email | Outline of Logistic Detials To Be Finalized
Hi Kristen,
Pick and place looks interesting, but you’re right about the training and maintenance / upkeep of the equipment being a concern. I might be able to house the equipment but not sure I can provide staff support.
Make sure to select equipment that is CSA certified. If it isn’t CSA or equivalent, you should add minimum $1500 to each piece of equipment for two ESA visits plus modifications. And be aware that some equipment cannot ever be modified to meet CSA guidelines, particularly if it is manufactured off shore. Don’t plan on buying this equipment through Amazon.
Second + Third Email | Q+A
We were hoping to ask for some clarification about the next steps and what needs to be done before proceeding with this sort of purchase.
CSA/ESA certifications and checks were previously mentioned - can we ask for more details on how this would work? We are fairly sure the model that we are looking at is not CSA certified.
With regards to training, our team is willing to provide training materials. However, would the SSDC require mandatory training for a pick and place machine? We understand that some training is required for other pieces of equipment and that you may not have staff support.
Are there any specific SSDC equipment maintenance protocols/processes that we must be aware of for the pick and place machine?
May we know when a purchase like such may be possible and if there is any additional information we must provide before doing so?
RE:
Hi Kristen,
The layout and staffing of the Rapid Prototyping Centre has changed significantly over the past month, in part in expectation of your receiving funding for this equipment. The details of what we are planning are a little complicated and will depend on your input, so a meeting is probably the best way to move forward. This will answer a lot of your questions about training, maintenance, etc. Graeme is away for a couple of weeks and I’m taking some time away next week so let’s plan on a meeting sometime after May 10. Feel free to invite other teams who participated in the proposal.
As for CSA you need to set aside approx. $2000 of your funding to pay for CSA certification if the equipment is not approved by CSA or has an equivalent certification. If you’ve already decided on the manufacturer and model start collecting as much information as you can, including what certifications it does have. Manufacturers will sometimes provide schematics for their equipment which can make the inspection process easier (and cheaper) so make sure to ask about this.
Also remember that you will have to pay for shipping and a portion of the HST – Paula can probably tell you what a typical HST % is for this type of equipment – so make sure to hold back that amount as well.
Once it has arrived I will make arrangements for the ESA inspection. Please send me any information that you have for the unit – circuit diagrams are particularly helpful for the inspector to review during their visit.
Feel free to start sending me info when you receive it, and I look forward to meeting in a couple of weeks.
RE:
Typically you will have to pay HST on what the value of the item is which would be listed on the shipping paperwork that the company provides. ($11k x 13% = $1430) Also, I am not 100% sure, but I think they would convert the value to $CAD funds and then charge the 13% which would end up being a higher amount.
As well, there are customs / brokerage / admin fees that are usually involved when ordering from outside Canada.
Unfortunately, there is really no way of knowing the cost of all fees until the order has been processed at the border. Sounds like you need to set aside at least 13% and possible closer to 15% to cover tax and other costs.