Tôle Inox Inc. is a Quebec-based company that manufactures stainless steel equipment, including evaporators. The company specializes in the maple syrup industry and has extensive expertise in the assembly and welding of stainless steel.
To turn an ambitious idea into an innovative energy solution, Tôle Inox chose to partner with Novika for its expertise in heat transfer, thermodynamics, automation, and control.
The idea was born in the classroom! Michel Bochud, a physicist and professor at CÉGEP de La Pocatière, mentioned to his student David Bédard—who would later join the team at Tôle Inox—that a large portion of the energy produced by the evaporators in maple groves was lost as steam. This represents a considerable energy loss, especially since maple syrup producers face high energy costs to boil maple sap.
The idea became an innovation thanks to the work of the Novika team, in collaboration with Mr. Bochud. And so, after five years of research and development, the ECOVAP was born: a fully electric semi-closed evaporator that consumes 15 to 20 times less energy than traditional models. This system recovers the steam released during the cooking process and converts it into liquid water, recovering energy during the phase change and thereby eliminating the need for fossil fuels such as wood or fuel oil.
The ECOVAP is also automated, which facilitates the production of high-quality syrup with fewer risks and optimal control over cooking parameters.
This change represents a major ecological breakthrough in the maple syrup industry, allowing producers to save on energy costs while reducing their carbon footprint.
