MME Facilities

The Computational Methods Laboratory allows students to perform computer aided modeling, design, simulation, and analysis relevant to the mechanical and manufacturing engineering disciplines. This lab also has access to advanced software tools for analysis including structural mechanics, acoustics, and fluid structure interactions problems.

Students are introduced to this laboratory in the Computational Methods in Engineering (MME 213) course where they learn to utilize computational tools to solve problems of engineering design and analysis. This course forms a foundation for the integrated computational methods education in the MME curricula. This laboratory is also a resource to the MME department and its students and is actively utilized by students for computationally oriented projects. These projects are conducted as part of the curricular requirements including Senior Capstone.

The Computer-Integrated Manufacturing Systems lab provides students the opportunity to integrate computers into manufacturing. This includes the use of computers for designing products, controlling manufacturing processes and combining them into systems, and collecting manufacturing information.

The CIMS lab is designed to perform five functions:

1. research and development
2. product design
3. process planning
4. product manufacturing
5. production planning and control

The CIMS lab is organized into three-subordinate sections that support these functions:

1. Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM)
2. Stand-alone Computer-Numerical Control (CNC) Machines
3. Flexible-Manufacturing System (FMS).

The Engineering Materials (EM) Laboratory provides students with opportunities to learn important concepts in materials science through experimentation. Students learn how to measure and modify material properties, and perform activities to clarify important concepts. Typically, topics covered are directly relevant to manufacturing processes or product design.

The lab is utilized principally by students in Engineering Materials (MME 223). However, the lab is available to students in other courses as well. Student learning from lab experiences is integrated with subsequent learning of other engineering topics such as manufacturing processes. The lab equipment is also used in myriad research activities being undertaken by MME faculty and students.

The laboratory equipment enables measurement of elastic and plastic, viscoelastic, viscous, thermal, and fatigue properties. Thermal processes for improving material properties can also be carried out. Student learning from lab equipment enables the visualization of important materials science concepts.

The Manufacturing Processes (MP) Laboratory provides students with the opportunity to study and practice manufacturing processes. This lab provides students experiential learning with the nature and technique of manufacturing processes. Students can set up and operate machines, manufacture parts, measure process variables, and inspect manufactured parts. Skills acquired from time in the lab are integrated with prior and subsequent learning of other engineering topics such as engineering materials and quality planning and control.

The MP Laboratory includes facilities to demonstrate and explore examples of casting, molding, forming, machining, heat-treating, and joining processes. A very broad range of equipment is available for student use, including a metal additive printer, CNC mills, lathes, water jet cutter and EDMs, vacuum former, injection molder, metal fabrication area and a fully equipped manual machine tool room.

The MP Laboratory includes facilities to demonstrate and explore examples of casting, molding, forming, machining, heat-treating, and joining processes. A very broad range of equipment is available for student use, including a metal additive printer, CNC mills, lathes, water jet cutter and EDMs, vacuum former, injection molder, metal fabrication area and a fully equipped manual machine tool room.

The MP Lab is also instrumental for research needs—not only in the research of manufacturing processes but other facets of engineering as well. Students and faculty can utilize the facility for research as well as for fabrication of research equipment and experiments.

The Mechanical Vibrations & Dynamic Systems Laboratory provides opportunities for students to incorporate vibration analysis into the design, development, and optimization of products. The lab serves the Mechanical Vibrations (MME 315) course. Students use experimental modal analysis hardware and software.

The objective of this lab is to provide students with an environment to model and analyze complex engineering systems for vibration analysis. This lab space is utilized for experimental research and course related projects and demonstrations and provides tools for design projects, which involve concepts and applications in terms of dynamics, vibrations and controls. This laboratory equips students with the current industry practice in vibration based analysis and design of products. Research experiences for undergraduate students are built into the fabric of this laboratory.

The Quality Planning & Control (QPC) Laboratory gives students an opportunity to learn about modern methods to measure and analyze variables of parts and components and integrate their results into the production of products. The lab emphasizes the role and integrates the concepts of statistics, design of experiments, total-quality management, and knowledge of manufacturing processes in contemporary manufacturing practice.

The lab and the primary course it serves, Quality Planning and Control (MME 334), incorporate realistic, case-based problems and modern concepts in statistical quality control. Automated inspection systems with CAD integration immerse students in the fundamentals of design and reverse engineering.

The Robotics Laboratory provides students an opportunity to plan, interface, and program an assigned automated task, solving design problems through software and hardware implementation of robotic systems. The lab experience in robotics is part of a senior level course, Advanced Manufacturing (MME 434), which provides an in-depth study of manufacturing processes in order to efficiently produce a product with the highest usable quality at the lowest cost.

Workplace design, assembly, inspection features and positioning devices are analyzed, and advanced techniques involving robotics and computers used in developing manufacturing processes are also studied. In addition, the lab is used for robotics related educational outreach programs for elementary through high school students.

This lab is administered collaboratively with the Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering.)

The Thermal/Fluids Laboratory gives students the opportunity to demonstrate and apply the concepts of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer to laboratory experiments aimed at the design, development, and analysis of engineering products. Students learn data reduction and analysis procedures while using working models and related software to conduct experimental engineering studies of energy processes.

This laboratory serves Fluid Mechanics (MME/CPB 313), Engineering Thermodynamics (MME/CPB 314), Engineering Thermodynamics II (MME 414), and Heat Transfer (MME/CPB 403), which are part of a Design Thread that integrates modeling with design throughout the curriculum. The development of this laboratory is shared jointly between the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and the Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering.

Considerable progress was made in 2007 with the addition of eight pieces of equipment including a dynamometer, thermal imager, scaled steam turbine plant, pump demonstrator, subsonic wind tunnel and gas turbine display. In addition, an internal combustion engine, exhaust gas analyzer and several fluid and thermal measuring devices were obtained for capstone design projects. In 2014 and 2015, two new pieces of equipment were purchased—namely, a humidity measurement bench unit and a refrigeration laboratory demonstration unit.

(This lab is administered collaboratively with the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering)

The Programmable-Logic Controller (PLC) Laboratory gives students the chance to learn about methods to measure and analyze control variables in manufacturing and mechanical processes. The lab emphasizes the role of programmable logic digital and analog controllers, integrating the concepts of transfer functions, system response, offset error, and stability into common practice.

The lab and the primary course it serves, Control of Dynamic Systems (MME/ECE 436), do contain design credits based on a laboratory project and design examples presented throughout the term. Design is incorporated in this course through realistic, case-based problems.

The Rapid Prototyping Laboratory provides opportunities for students to materialize their designs. Students learn engineering geometric features and nontraditional manufacturing processes while using working models and software to design prototype components and program the prototyping machines. This laboratory serves the Manufacturing Processes (MME 231) course and has also hosted projects from the art, architecture, and entrepreneurship departments.