Manufacturing & Automation Lab

Classes Supported:

  • Undergraduate: MAE 434W, MAE 435

  • Graduate/Research: MAE 682, MAE 744/844, MAE 785/885

Directed by Dr. Han P. Bao

The Automated Manufacturing and Rapid Prototyping Laboratory is jointly run by the Engineering Technology Department and the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. The lab is incorporated into many curricula: Freshmen in their Introduction to Engineering courses, and Senior students for the research.

This laboratory houses a variety of automated manufacturing equipment including computer numerical control machines, robots, machines visions systems, coordinate measuring machines, and abrasive jet equipment. The equipment in this lab can take a product all the way from conceptual design to actual fabrication.

The rapid prototyping capabilities can create a physical model from the design in the computer-controlled Thermojet equipment. These wax models can be miniaturized mechanisms for demonstration purposes, new designs of parts to be used directly in the machine prior to sending a part to mass production or casting techniques can be used to produce a part from plastic or aluminum.

Instrumentation & Software

  • Mitsubishi Robot and Work Station

  • Bridgeport Series-I Vertical CNC Machine

  • Dynamite desktop CNC machines - 3

  • IRI machine Vision System

  • Brown & Sharpe Coordinate Measuring Machine

  • Rhino and Microbot Educational

  • Abrasive Jet machines - 2

  • Bridgeport EZ-CAM software

  • Pro Model Software

  • ThermoJet for producing wax models with 6-inch x 8-inch x 8-inch maximum capacity

  • Nth Dimension Rapid Prototyping Machine

  • Plotter - cutter for producing layered paper models

  • Cost Estimator Software

  • Process Model Software

  • Solid Works Software

Description of Resources Accessed by Industry

  • Robots

  • CNC machines

  • Rapid Prototype machines

Contact

Interested in using the Manufacturing & Automation Laboratory? Contact Dr. Han P. Bao.