Workshop Pictures and Equipment

[Dave_Dal]

Hi all,

We at Dalhousie are currently making plans to build a new building to house student project workspace for FSAE, Mini-Baja, etc... as well as faculty machine shops and such. We are just about to get the students involved and we would like to show them what other schools have access to. So, if you don't mind, could you send pictures of your shops/layout, the type of equipment you have access to, as well as how you get around the safety/liability issue of working with mills, lathes, CNC equipment, etc to fsae@dal.ca? We are looking for the best, the worst, the mid-range spaces...everything really. It would also be greatly appreciated if you could provide layout tips based on your experiences so that we don't make mistakes like putting the welding shop, fabrication shop, and assembly shop all in the same place...which is what we have now, hence the new building.

Yes I did do a search, but I couldn't find pictures, only lists of equipment. I know there was a similar post made a few months ago, but I couldn't find it.

Thank you in advance.

David Anderson

[Dave_Dal]

Hi all,

We at Dalhousie are currently making plans to build a new building to house student project workspace for FSAE, Mini-Baja, etc... as well as faculty machine shops and such. We are just about to get the students involved and we would like to show them what other schools have access to. So, if you don't mind, could you send pictures of your shops/layout, the type of equipment you have access to, as well as how you get around the safety/liability issue of working with mills, lathes, CNC equipment, etc to fsae@dal.ca? We are looking for the best, the worst, the mid-range spaces...everything really. It would also be greatly appreciated if you could provide layout tips based on your experiences so that we don't make mistakes like putting the welding shop, fabrication shop, and assembly shop all in the same place...which is what we have now, hence the new building.

Yes I did do a search, but I couldn't find pictures, only lists of equipment. I know there was a similar post made a few months ago, but I couldn't find it.

Thank you in advance.

David Anderson

[Composites Guy]

I too would like to see pictures. Our university (a former world-leader in engineering) has all but forgotten its mechanical engineering deparment in favor of fancy dorms, cafeteria's, athletic centers, picturesque landscapes and sexy nano-crap. We can barely keep a running Bridgeport, and the paint is peeling off the walls.

Having pictures would give us a better arguement for facilities we SHOULD have. After all our 'non-profit' university's bank account was growing by more than 100 million a year last time I checked.

[Jersey Tom]

I don't have pictures and they're redoing the layout this year. I just moved out to Akron to work at Goodyear.. but in terms of what was available..

SAE SHOP
---
-Assorted air tools
-Assorted power tools
-Wrenches, etc
-Big ol' press
-Vent for dyno
-Heat treating ovens

ME MACHINE SHOP
---
-Hurco VM1 VMC, 16 tool ATC, 8000 rpm spindle
-Sharp manual mill, 3-axis DRO
-Sharp 2-axis prototrack mill
-Hardinge HLV lathe, 2-axis DRO
-Sharp toolroom lathe, 2-axis DRO
-Grinding wheels
-Drill sharpener
-Vertical bandsaw

AERO MACHINE SHOP
---
-Bridgeport CNC lathe
-2x Trump 3-axis CNC, no ATC
-Hardinge HLV, 2-axis DRO
-Big ol engine lathe
-2x 2-axis prototrack Bridgeports
-Vertical bandsaw
-Horizontal bandsaw
-Turret punch
-Grinding wheels
-Belt sander
-Bending brake
-Sheet metal shear

WELDING SHOP
---
-Miller Syncrowave 350 TIG
-Tiny Lincoln Electric MIG
-OAW rig
-Plasma cutter
-Big ol 'war' grinder
-Some big welding tables

COMPOSITES SHOP
---
-Tables
-Vaccuum line
-Layup tables w/ exhaust
-Particulate filter rooom

ITLL MACHINE SHOP
---
-Milltronics 3-axis VMC
-Milltronics 4-axis VMC
-Milltronics CNC lathe
-2x Bridgeport mills, 2-axis DRO
-Hardinge HLV, 2-axis DRO
-Summit engine lathe
-Vertical bandsaw
-Horizontal bandsaw

I also had access to

AERO LAB SHOP
---
-Fadal 3016 VMC, 24 tool ATC, 7500rpm spindle
- 2-axis Bridgeport ez-trak
-Lagun FTV-2 manual mill, 2-axis DRO
-Hardinge HLV, 2-axis DRO
-Bending brake
-Sheet metal shear
-Vertical bandsaw

Machine shops are usually 9-5 access, SAE area, welding and composites shop were 24-hour card access. You filled out a little safety sheet and away you went.

Conveniently I had 24-hour access to the aero lab shop (I worked there and all the machines were stupid accurate), and talked the ME shop guy and our dept chair into giving me 24-hour to the ME shop as well.

There were a couple other machine shops we prob could have used (Physics shop with 7x mill and 7x lathe, etc... or the Chem E shop with a nice surface grinder) but didnt have to.

[Todzilla]

Here is our workshop

http://www.fsae.rmit.edu.au/rmit_racing.htm

[Todzilla]

Sorry, the link isn't direct,

just click gallery, then click design office photos under the 2007 column

Cheers