What Mecanicad does

Mecanicad Inc. is a Quebec-based specialty manufacturer of high-efficiency plastic ventilation ducts for underground mining and tunneling, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Rouyn-Noranda. The company's core product line centers on sliding ventilation ducts built around a patented slide rail assembly system (slides, tenons, mortises) that enables efficient factory delivery, on-site assembly, disassembly for reuse, and on-site reconditioning. Ducts are offered in PVC Type II and Copolymer Polypropylene with multiple thickness options and hold CSA-M427-M91, MSHA 30 CFR 7.28 (V0), and UL 94HB fire-resistance certifications, with a proprietary K factor of 5 derived from global project performance. Accessories include adjustable collars, elbows (5/11/22/45 degrees), fan adapters, Y connectors, ducting adapters, butterfly valves, extensible replacement ducts, and installation hardware, supported by a U-shaped logistics process that delivers up to 700 meters of duct per truck.

The company operates a quote-based, project-driven revenue model combining one-time product sales with adjacent services: custom design, on-site training, performance monitoring using calibrated equipment, and turnkey ventilation container rentals. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales supplemented by an international distributor and agent network, with dedicated sales specialists covering North America and Latin America and free 7-day-a-week technical consultation. Customers are 17+ named global mining majors and contractors including Fresnillo, Codelco, Glencore, Vale, Newmont Goldcorp, Agnico Eagle, Newcrest, Equinox Gold, Osisko, Redpath, Cementation, and Procon, served primarily through project bids tied to underground mine development cycles.

Mecanicad is privately held by co-owners Marc Maurice (President) and Wayne Powers (Business Development Manager), with Stéphane Larouche as General Manager, and runs a small headcount of 11–50 employees with no disclosed external equity investors. Recent strategic direction emphasizes international expansion (dedicated LATAM personnel), plant modernization (digital cutting, robotized welding), and a partnership with ONX Automation to develop VORTEN, an intelligent and connected mine ventilation management system targeting the Mine 4.0 automation trend. The company also pursues circular-economy initiatives through CTRI and the Mouvement québécois de la qualité network to reduce plastic manufacturing waste and formalize continuous improvement.

Name

Mecanicad

Legal name

Mécanicad Inc.

Website

https://mecanicad.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mecanicad is a Quebec-based manufacturer founded in 1999 that designs and produces patented high-efficiency plastic ventilation ducts and accessories for underground mining and tunneling, serving global mining majors and contractors through direct sales and an international distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining Ventilation Equipment

NAICS

Plastics Pipe, Pipe Fitting, and Unlaminated Profile Shape Manufacturing (32612), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Ductwork, Duct Fittings & Air Distribution (Diffusers/Grilles/Registers) (IMADANAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pipes & Tubing (Metal, Plastic & Composite) (IMADALAC)

Keywords

• Underground mine ventilation
• Plastic ventilation ducts
• Tunneling ventilation equipment
• Mine safety ventilation
• Air duct manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Rouyn-noranda

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Plastic Ventilation Duct Sales: Manufacture and sale of high-efficiency plastic ventilation ducts including sliding ducts, elbows, adapters, Y-connectors, valves, and replacement ducts. Products available in PVC and PP Copolymer materials with multiple thickness options.
2. Custom Design Services: Custom design service to develop specific parts that cannot be met by standard products. Consultants and team work with clients to develop missing components.
3. Training Services: Technical training for customer employees on proper installation of ventilation ducts, including on-site assistance and field training.
4. Performance Monitoring Services: Expert evaluation of ventilation network performance, assessing installation quality, air volume, and airflow using specialized equipment.
5. Ventilation Container Rental: Rental of turnkey ventilation containers that can be custom built and easily moved and reused underground or at ventilation raise entrances.
6. Transport and Delivery: Direct shipping from factory to customer site with international delivery capabilities via sea containers or land transport.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Mecanicad designs, manufactures, and distributes high-efficiency plastic ventilation ducts (sliding ducts, elbows, adapters, Y-connectors, valves, replacement ducts) and accessories for underground mining and tunneling ventilation projects. Products are available in PVC Type II and Copolymer Polypropylene, feature a patented slide rail assembly system for on-site assembly and reuse, and are complemented by custom design, training, performance monitoring, and ventilation container rental services.

Product overview

Mécanicad is a manufacturer of high-efficiency plastic ventilation ducts for underground mining and tunneling applications. Their product portfolio centers on sliding ventilation ducts featuring a patented slide rail assembly system, complemented by accessories including adjustable collars, elbows (5/11/22/45 degrees), fan adapters, Y connectors, conduit adapters, butterfly valves, and replacement ducts. Products are available in PVC Type II (grey, conforming to CSA-M427-M91 and MSHA standards) and Copolymer Polypropylene (white, conforming to UL 94HB). Services include custom design, transport/delivery, training, performance monitoring, and ventilation container rental. The company also collaborates on VORTEN, an intelligent mine ventilation management system with automated fittings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sliding Ventilation Ducts Main product featuring a patented slide rail assembly system with tenons and mortises, enabling delivery in larger quantities and easy on-site assembly, disassembly, replacement, and relocation for underground mining and tunneling ventilation.
• Adjustable Collars Adjustable collars that optimize the airtightness of the ventilation system through an adjustable collar mechanism.
• Elbows Ventilation elbows available in 5, 11, 22, and 45 degree angles with optimized design for transportation.
• Fan Adapters (Male and Female) Bolted fan adapters with male and female connections to primary and secondary fans, with deflection angles between 0 and 10 degrees depending on diameter variation.
• Standard Y Connector 45-degree design allowing ventilation of 2 sectors from the main duct.
• Lateral Y Connector 30-degree lateral design allowing 1 secondary area to be vented from the main duct.
• Rigid to Flexible Conduit Adapter Allows connection from rigid duct to flexible duct at the working face, adapting to the size of the flexible duct.
• Ducting Adapters Allows changing the size of the duct within the ventilation system.
• Key Butterfly Valve Butterfly valve that is easy to activate from the ground with its activation key, allowing better air management.
• Extensible Replacement Duct Allows replacement of a duct regardless of its position in the ventilation system, restoring system efficiency.
• Packaging Products Adapted solutions and formats designed for storage and reuse, including reusable steel shipping structures.
• Hardware (Straps, Carabiners, etc.) Installation hardware allowing turnkey product deployment including straps, carabiners, and other mounting components.
• Ventilation Container Rental Turnkey ventilation solution using a custom-built container that can be moved and reused underground or at ventilation raise entrance, enabling conducting air over 2,000 meters without auxiliary fan.
• Custom Design Service Custom design service for specific characteristics not met by standard products, including development of missing parts and timely manufacturing.
• Transport and Delivery Service Direct shipping from factory to site via truck (up to 300 conduits/700 meters) or 40-foot container (up to 240 conduits/550 meters).
• Training Service On-site technician training for installation of Mecanicad ducts plus training video and detailed installation procedures available in VIP Zone.
• Performance Monitoring Service Expert evaluation of ventilation network performance assessing installation quality, volume, and airflow using specialized calibrated equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2x less energy required compared to steel ductwork, 10x less than flexible ductwork
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• ONX AutomationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on development of VORTEN, an intelligent and connected mine ventilation management system. Mécanicad pools equipment and human resources with ONX Automation to develop intelligent and automated ventilation fittings as part of Mine 4.0 initiative.
• Centre technologique des résidus industriels (CTRI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in industrial ecology pilot project supported by CTRI and l'Espace d'acceleration et de croissance de l'Abitibi-Temiscamingue. Project characterizes production waste, analyzes potential, and finds innovative solutions to optimize waste and reduce carbon footprint of plastic waste.
• Collectif TerritoireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIdeation kits created from plastic production scraps for non-profit organization. Kits used for co-creation workshops on land use planning with citizen groups.
• Mouvement québécois de la qualité (MQQ) - Abitibi-Témiscamingue NetworksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvolved in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue performance network of MQQ to share experiences, exchange business best practices, and access training on continuous improvement.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Howden: Global industrial fan and ventilation equipment manufacturer serving mining and tunneling; competes with Mécanicad indirectly as a broad incumbent that supplies the fans that connect to duct networks like Mécanicad's.
• Atlas Copco: Diversified mining and infrastructure equipment OEM with a mine ventilation portfolio; overlaps at the system level with Mécanicad in underground air-handling solutions for large mining customers.
• TLT-Turbo (Howden Group): Tunnel and underground ventilation fan specialist within Howden; comparable broad play in mine and tunnel air-handling systems that complement or substitute for Mécanicad's duct-centric solutions.
• Sandvik: Major mining equipment and digital mining solutions provider (parent of Newtrax); competes broadly with Mécanicad via integrated mine automation and ventilation system offerings to the same enterprise miners.

Direct peers

• Flexhaust / Flexible Ducting Solutions: Specialist in flexible ventilation ducting used in underground mining and tunneling; competes with Mécanicad at the working face, where flexible ductwork is the primary alternative to rigid plastic.
• Clemcorp Group: Australian specialist in underground mine ventilation ducting, fans, and brattice; competes directly with Mécanicad across Asia-Pacific mining customers with comparable rigid and flexible duct offerings.
• Masterduct: Manufacturer of industrial and mining ventilation ducting and hose products, including rigid plastic ducting lines; overlaps with Mécanicad on industrial ducting materials and accessories.
• Wittmann Mining Services: Supplier of mine ventilation equipment and ducting systems; comparable product scope to Mécanicad's rigid plastic ducts and accessories for underground mine operators.
• ABC Industries: US-based manufacturer of mine and tunnel ventilation ducting (rigid and flexible); the most direct global head-to-head competitor to Mécanicad in plastic and fabric ventilation ducts for underground applications.

Emerging players

• Hexagon / Newtrax: Digital mine operations platform that maps onto the intelligent ventilation management category Mécanicad is targeting with VORTEN; emerging competitor in connecting ventilation assets to mine automation software.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mecanivent

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mecanicad