Using State-of-the Art Nanotechnology to Manufacture Reinforced Tools

Think thousands of times smaller than the width of a hair or a piece of paper and now you're at the nanoscale of science. A Rushford company is using new nanotechnology to manufacture reinforced tools. Rushford Hypersonic is Minnesota's first rural nanotechnology company. It uses a process that was created and patented by scientists at the University of Minnesota.

The company's focus is on making everyday tools, like drill bits, stronger by coating them with nanoparticles. Initial experiments have shown drill bits that have the special coating lasts 40 times longer than those without it. The CEO of Hypersonic says typically it takes 5 years to get an idea from the lab to a finished product. This company is optimistic they'll do it in just under 2 years and they attribute their success to their small-town business.

"People need to understand nanotechnology can work, it doesn't have to be in the big city. It can be literally in a small city of 1,700 people or fewer works. What it takes is a talented group of individuals to come together and do it," said Dan Fox, CEO of Rushford Hypersonic. Rushford Hypersonic is the only company that has exclusive rights to this form of nanotechnology from the University of Minnesota. The company is finishing up final tests of the coating process and hopes to be selling the products to clients soon.

Run time: 2.40 mins